Category: Safety Studies

Study – PowerSlap Has Absurd Rates of Brain Injury

September 22, 2024

When you design a “sport” intended to give defenseless participants brain injury you unsurprisingly get brain injury. A lot of it. Those are the findings of a recent research letter reviewing objective signs of concussion amongst participants in PowerSlap. These findings are important because the promoters of PowerSlap try to emphasize its relative safety compared … More Study – PowerSlap Has Absurd Rates of Brain Injury

Study – EEG Readings May Help Screen for Early Signs of CTE

September 17, 2024

A study was published this month in the European Journal of Neurology suggesting that EEG readings may have promise in showing early signs of CTE. In the study, titled ‘Knock down the brain’: a nonlinear analysis of electroencephalography to study the effects of sub-concussion in boxers, the authors selected 21 boxers. They seperated the athletes … More Study – EEG Readings May Help Screen for Early Signs of CTE

Study – Fewer Neurological Problems Found in Boxers in Later 20th Century

September 17, 2024

An interesting study was published this month in the Archives of Neuropsychology breaking reviewing boxing brain trauma studies from the 20th century. In the study, titled Neurological Problems in Boxers during the 20th Century: a Review and Synthesis, the authors reviewed 45 articles addressing brain trauma in boxers published between 1928-1999. The goal was to … More Study – Fewer Neurological Problems Found in Boxers in Later 20th Century

Study – MMA Fighters Show Evidence of Sub Concussive Harm Following Sparring

August 31, 2024

CTE is a disease of mileage and is caused by repeated exposure to sub concussive blows (brain rattling impacts that don’t produce symptoms of concussion). Many fighters take the vast majority of their sub concussive impacts in training as opposed to actual competition. This week a study was published showing that MMA fighters show evidence … More Study – MMA Fighters Show Evidence of Sub Concussive Harm Following Sparring

Study Calls For Better Brain Health Education for MMA Athletes and Coaches

August 6, 2024

One fairly consistent theme in research about brain injury in MMA is the need for better education about brain health basics in the community. This month another study was published calling for such steps to be taken. In the recent study, titled “Assessing the Incidence of Head Trauma in Australian Mixed Martial Arts: A Retrospective … More Study Calls For Better Brain Health Education for MMA Athletes and Coaches

Study – White Matter Signal Abnormalities in Brain “Significantly Greater” In MMA Fighters With Football or Rugby History

July 20, 2024

An interesting study was published this week in the peer reviewed journal The Physician and Sports Medicine looking at white matter signal abnormalities in a group of professional fighters. White matter signal abnormalities are associated with traumatic brain injury. Previous research of MMA athletes did not find greater white matter abnormalities in them compared to … More Study – White Matter Signal Abnormalities in Brain “Significantly Greater” In MMA Fighters With Football or Rugby History

Another Study Showing Relative Safety of Strangulation in BJJ

July 16, 2024

There are a growing number of studies showing it is relatively safe to be strangled in the sporting context of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. This week another study was published on this topic looking specifically into whether participant showed measurable cognitive decline after a strangulation submission vs a non strangulation submission. The short answer was they … More Another Study Showing Relative Safety of Strangulation in BJJ

Study – Some Headgear Substantially Increases Rotational Acceleration To Its Users

July 6, 2024

Headgear does little to protect users from brain injury. According to the Association of Ringside Physicians “Headguards should not be relied upon to reduce the risk of concussion or other traumatic brain injury. They have not been shown to prevent these types of injuries in combat sports or other sports” Adding to this conclusion a study … More Study – Some Headgear Substantially Increases Rotational Acceleration To Its Users

Study – Serial Strangulation in Sport Does Not Lead to Increased Stroke Risk

June 13, 2024

How safe is it to be strangled hundreds of times in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or other submission grappling arts? The latest research addressing this subject has just been published. Dr. Samuel J. Stellpflug, a US based physician and one of the world’s leading researchers of the medical consequences of serial strangulation in sport has authored … More Study – Serial Strangulation in Sport Does Not Lead to Increased Stroke Risk

Ringside Doctors Publish Peer Reviewed Position on Licencing Older Fighters

May 9, 2024

Last year the Association of Ringside Physicians published their consensus statement on medically clearing older fighters to compete. This week their position was published in the peer reviewed journal The Physician and Sports Medicine. The paper is titled Care of The Older Fighter: Position Statement of the Association of Ringside Physicians. The abstract, along with … More Ringside Doctors Publish Peer Reviewed Position on Licencing Older Fighters