CTE, a disease that can only be formally diagnosed post death, is probably the greatest occupational hazard combat sports athletes face. Finding tools to help fighters pull the plug on their career before too much damage is done is of significant importance. Educational initiatives about this presently incurable disease are a vital starting point. Among … More Neuropsychiatrist Recommends Boxer Specific CTE Screening Practices

Although this study is a few years old its findings are important and worth adding to this site’s database of combat sports health and safety studies. In 2018 data was published finding that having a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury was linked with a “2-fold higher risk of subsequent suicide“. The study is titled … More Concussion Linked With “2-fold higher risk of subsequent suicide”

Damage from brain injury can go beyond the brain. That is the suggestion of freshly publsihed research. A study was published this month finding that there was a high rate of cardiovascular disease in individuals who had a past traumatic brain injury. The study, titled Association Between Traumatic Brain Injury and Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease Among … More Study – Brain Injury May Lead To Increased Cardiovascular Disease

Medical uncertainty. A mountain of poor decisions can be built on this foundation. Today a major step was taken removing this base for the world of contact and combat sports. Earlier this year an important paper was published in Frontiers of Neurology finding that there is a causative connection between CTE and serial brain injuries … More United States National Institute of Health Admit CTE Caused by Serial Brain Injury

Headgear. Does it help? Does it harm? Different combat sports have toyed with their rules over the years and medical studies on the value of headgear can be a bit scattered and incomplete. Trying to fill this gap the Association of Ringside Physicians highlighted data at their 2022 annual conference in Las Vegas Nevada giving … More Ringside Doctors Working on Consensus Statement on Headgear in Combat Sports

The 2022 Association of Ringside Physicians annual conference just wrapped up in Las Vegas. Among the many great topics covered was recent data finding glove poke rates are higher in the UFC and the PFL which use a similar glove vs Bellator that uses a glove with more curve. The presentation, presented by current ARP … More Study – UFC Glove Type Linked With “Clear Pattern” of Higher Eye Poke Rate