The School of Education, Walailak University, is pleased to congratulate Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rajasyed Tengku Sulaiman, a faculty member in Physical Education, School of Education, Walailak University, on the publication of his international research article as the First Author, entitled:

“Muay Thai–specific high-intensity interval training enhances anaerobic power in elite fighters”

The article has been published in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, an international peer-reviewed journal ranked Q1 with a Percentile of 92. This achievement highlights the School’s research excellence in Physical Education, Sports Science, and athletic performance development at the international level.

The study investigated the effectiveness of Muay Thai-specific High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in improving anaerobic power among elite Muay Thai fighters. A total of 20 elite male Muay Thai athletes aged 18–28 years participated in the study and were divided into two groups: a HIIT group of 10 athletes and a traditional training control group of 10 athletes.

The HIIT program incorporated sport-specific Muay Thai movements, including high-speed shadowboxing with weighted gloves and high-intensity kicking exercises using a heavy bag. Anaerobic performance was assessed using the 30-second Wingate Anaerobic Test, while aerobic capacity was evaluated using the 20-Meter Shuttle Run Test.

The findings revealed that athletes participating in the Muay Thai-specific HIIT program demonstrated significant improvements in anaerobic performance, including peak power, mean power, and minimum power, compared with those following traditional training. Meanwhile, both groups showed comparable improvements in aerobic fitness.

These findings suggest that Muay Thai-specific HIIT can effectively enhance anaerobic power while maintaining aerobic development comparable to conventional training methods. The approach may therefore serve as an effective and time-efficient training strategy for elite Muay Thai fighters and other combat-sport athletes.

This research provides valuable knowledge for the scientific design of sports training programs, the enhancement of athletic performance, and the advancement of Muay Thai training practices. It also contributes to strengthening the international recognition of Muay Thai as both a high-performance combat sport and an important cultural heritage of Thailand.

📚 Article: Muay Thai–specific high-intensity interval training enhances anaerobic power in elite fighters
👨‍🏫 First Author: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rajasyed Tengku Sulaiman
🏫 Affiliation: School of Education, Walailak University
📖 Journal: Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
🏆 Q1 | Percentile 92
🔗 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2026.1831605