Author Identifier
Colin S. Doherty: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3589-7490
Oliver R. Barley: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8543-9818
Lauren V. Fortington: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2760-9249
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Sports Medicine Open
Volume
11
Issue
1
Publisher
Springer
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
82550
Funders
Western Australia Combat Sports Commission / Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship
Abstract
Background: Mixed martial arts (MMA) and Muay Thai (MT) are widely practiced combat sports, yet research on the full spectrum of competition-related health problems (HPs) remains limited, particularly for MT. Existing studies in both sports primarily focus on retrospective analyses of severe injuries, often estimating time lost from training or competition. This study describes the incidence of all competition HPs reported seven days after MMA and MT contests, and determines the number of days impacted by tracking athletes’ self-identified worst HPs until resolution. Methods: Data on competition HPs were collected using an online questionnaire completed seven days after each MMA and MT event (n = 26). The questionnaire included the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Questionnaire on Health Problems 2 (OSTRC-H2). The Combat Sports Commission of Western Australia provided competition exposure time data. Incidence rates of HPs were calculated per 100 min of exposure (HPIRME). Competitors reporting HPs were followed up weekly using the OSTRC-H2 questionnaire until their worst HPs resolved. Results: Of the 175 competitors (238 responses) who completed the questionnaire (76% male; age: 27 ± 6 years), 81 competitors (92 responses) reported a total of 411 HPs (315 injuries, 96 illnesses). Among the 92 worst HPs, 26 were substantial, and 24 prevented training. The HPIRME was 20.1 (95% CI: 16.5–24.4) for MMA and 25 (95% CI: 22.3–28) for MT. Follow-up captured 78 (85%) of the worst HPs, with 175 responses collected over 14–70 days post-competition. The median days impacted by the worst HPs were 20 for MMA and 16 for MT. Conclusions: Among respondents, 39% reported at least one HP. On average, the worst HPs resolved in less than three weeks. These findings provide valuable insights into the frequency and impact of competition HPs,offering important information for promoters, athletes, coaches, and regulatory bodies to better understand and address the health challenges faced by combat sports athletes.
DOI
10.1186/s40798-025-00880-3
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Doherty, C. S., Barley, O. R., & Fortington, L. V. (2025). Incidence of health problems in Australian mixed martial arts and Muay Thai competitors: A 14-month study of 26 combat sports events. Sports Medicine-Open, 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-025-00880-3