Category: Safety Studies

Study Finds Widespread Opposition to AIBA’s Headgear Ban in Boxing

February 17, 2016

In 2013 the Amateur International Boxing Association, the international governing body for amateur boxing, instituted a rule banning headgear in competition for elite men.  The ban is expected to be expanded to all competitors in 2018. While there are conflicting views as to the efficacy of headgear in amateur boxing a recent study reveals that there … More Study Finds Widespread Opposition to AIBA’s Headgear Ban in Boxing

Study – Dehydrated Wrestlers Suffer Increased Skeletal Muscle Damage

February 6, 2016

In my ongoing effort to highlight safety studies addressing combative sports, a recent study was published in the Journal of Physical Medicine Science studying dehydration and skeletal muscle damage in elite wrestlers. The study involved seventy-two elite wrestlers who participated in the Turkish Wrestling Championship and revealed that dehydrated wrestlers suffered from higher level of … More Study – Dehydrated Wrestlers Suffer Increased Skeletal Muscle Damage

Patent Granted For Headgear Which May Reduce Brain Injury

January 27, 2016

Martial Arts enthusiast, Physicist and author Jason Thalken has recently obtained a patent for a headgear design that he hopes can reduce head trauma and the incidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in contact sports. In en effort to bring attention to this patent Thalken has published the full text of his patent to Researchgate and … More Patent Granted For Headgear Which May Reduce Brain Injury

Study – Steroid Use Linked to Worse Traumatic Brain Injury

January 26, 2016

An important study was recently published in the open access journal, PLOS ONE, analyzing the relationship between the severity of traumatic brain injury and anabolic steroid use. In the Study, titled “Chronic Exposure to Androgenic-Anabolic Steroids Exacerbates Axonal Injury and Microgliosis in the CHIMERA Mouse Model of Repetitive Concussion” the authors noted that in about … More Study – Steroid Use Linked to Worse Traumatic Brain Injury

39% Kickboxing Injury Rate Revealed in 15 Year NSAC Record Review

November 17, 2015

Note – The below findings likely exclude concussions which appear to be “significantly underreported” with the authors noting that 40% of contests end in KO/TKO and concussions are likely in many of these bouts.  In other words, the study finds there is a 39% reported injury rate in kickboxing bouts in addition to the likely … More 39% Kickboxing Injury Rate Revealed in 15 Year NSAC Record Review

Study – Contact Sports “Greatest Risk Factor for CTE Pathology”

November 9, 2015

Update December 2, 2015 – The full study can be found here – CTE in Amateur Athletes Study  The Mayo Clinic has uploaded the following useful video summarizing this study –   _____________________________ Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disorder related to repetative traumatic brain injury is perhaps one of the most troubling risks associated with … More Study – Contact Sports “Greatest Risk Factor for CTE Pathology”

British Journal of Sports Medicine – Add Hydration Requirement to MMA

October 16, 2015

There are many documented cases of injury in MMA due to the profound dehydration that comes with rapid extreme weight cutting.  Perhaps the most dangerous risk is that of increased brain trauma and death that comes from being exposed to strikes while not being fully hydrated.  As this industry wide practice is becoming better recognized … More British Journal of Sports Medicine – Add Hydration Requirement to MMA

Study Links Increased Risk of Brain Trauma in MMA to Fighter Age and Time Between Bouts

October 13, 2015

In my ongoing effort to highlight safety studies addressing combative sports, a thesis paper was recently published by the University of Ottawa’s Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences reviewing factors associated with head trauma in professional MMA. The author analysed data from Fightmetric reviewing 7,134 rounds in the UFC, WEC and Strikeforce from 2004 – 2014. … More Study Links Increased Risk of Brain Trauma in MMA to Fighter Age and Time Between Bouts

Study Suggests Use of “Padded” Hand Wraps to Reduce Brain Trauma In Sparring

October 6, 2015

Given that CTE is being linked to duration and severity of contact and further that the KO rate by punches in MMA increased tenfold after gloves with conventional wraps became the norm in the sport, should MMA and other striking sport athletes use ‘padded’ hand wraps to reduce brain trauma while sparring?  An article published … More Study Suggests Use of “Padded” Hand Wraps to Reduce Brain Trauma In Sparring

Study – Mileage is One of Biggest Factors for Brain Trauma in Boxing

October 5, 2015

In the latest article addressing injury issues in combative sports, a study was published last month in the Journal of Neurotrauma studying cognitive impairment from boxing. The study, titled Chronic Effects of Boxing: DTI and Cognitive Findings, used Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Diffusion Tensor Imaging to study brain trauma among 10 boxers (9 active and 2 … More Study – Mileage is One of Biggest Factors for Brain Trauma in Boxing