Sparring = Brain Damage?

What are your thoughts on this idea?

In particular, does light, medium, or hard sparring mean you will get brain damage (in a way which matters)

 

I think the contact level isn't so important as the protective equipment and ruleset.
Lots of hits and lots of buffeting of the head in a short period of time=lots of small, cumulative concussions.
I'm not an expert but everything I've always heard is that concussions, even to the point of a knockout are unlikely to cause lasting damage, so long as things are stopped and allowed to heal without further trauma, however small concussions are much more likely to cause lasting damage if incurred regularly and in large numbers.

 

I've concussed myself a lot and look how I turned out. *drool*

 

Your question was asked here and answered by a couple of MDs:

http://www.justanswer.com/medical/2j5r4-does-sparring-mixed-martial-arts-muay-thai-specifically.html

 

Wait, hasn't this question been addressed in a previous thread?
Although I'm no expert on the subject (I'm far from being a neuroscientist or a doctor of any kind), I have taken the time to do some research. So I'll bring up some points that I made in your last thread as well as some added extras. What do you think: should I quit martial arts?

Brain damage is usually the result of a blow that is hard enough to swivel the neck or 'snap' it back. This can cause the brain to slosh around and hit the interior of the skull causing it to bruise.



Such a blow can also cause the brain stem to twist limiting information to vital organs such as the heart, lungs and affect functions like pain sensitivity control, alertness, awareness, and consciousness. Basically, its your brain stem that connects the brain to the nervous system and feeds the info through it.



Wrestling is a bit different because rather than causing direct impact to the head, it can restrict blood flow to the brain (depending on the choke) through applying pressure to the carotid artery (responsible for supplying the head with oxygenated blood, oxygenated blood is important because it supplies the brain with energy, not supplying the brain with oxygenated blood can cause the cells in significant numbers to die which results in brain damage) and jugular vein (which sends deoxygenated blood away from the head back to the heart). Like a kink in a hose can limit water flow, the same can occur with the carotid artery and jugular vein.



Now in terms of stand up striking arts such as Boxing (which is a full contact striking art), in the Heidelberg Boxing Study that was carried out in 2008 done with amateur fighters did show that in compassion that the risk of developing long term brain damage was far less with amateur fighters than professional fighters. Though this is not to say that amateur fighters are not at risk, high-resolution MRI data was used to search for tiny changes in the brains of amateur boxers and a comparison group of non-boxers. Needless to say the tiny changes that were discovered have been presumed to be the precursors for later severe brain damage such as Parkinson's disease or dementia. Here are the results of the tests that were carried out on amateur Boxers;

Now I should note that having a precursor does not necessarily equal a 'set in stone future' of Parkinson disease or dementia, it simply means biologically some changes have occurred within the brain cells which can put you at a slightly higher risk of developing these diseases in later life.

Other tests were also done with professional Boxers and was found that between 15% to 20% of professional boxers are likely to develop 'punch drunk' (dementia) with an average time of onset being 12 -16 years.

So why is there a difference here between the professional fighters and amateur fighters?

Amateur sparring matches tend to have less rounds.
In Amateur Boxing you'll usually either see three rounds consisting of three minutes (men) or four rounds consisting of two minutes (women) as opposed to professional boxing which can consist of anything between six to twelve rounds (depending on the Boxers experience).

Amateur fighters are usually required to wear a helmet.
In amateur boxing this is definitely the case. How does wearing a helmet reduce the risks of TBI (Traumatic brain injury)? Studies have shown that wearing a good helmet can reduce the risks of developing TBI by half compared to those who don't wear a helmet. Boxing helmet review.

So in conclusion: Yes, sparring can cause brain damage but there are measures you can take to reduce the risk long term damage such as: Sparring within a certain rule set, wearing a helmet and mouth guard, learning how to spar (how to read your opponent and react appropriately and also knowing when you've had enough physically), exercising regularly, making sure you get the appropriate amount of rest after training and making sure that you are getting the right nutrition into your body so it can recover. Thats pretty much all there is to it.

Recommended reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traumatic_brain_injury
http://www.aans.org/Patient%20Information/Conditions%20and%20Treatments/Sports-Related%20Head%20Injury.aspx
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/traumatic_brain_injury/hic_traumatic_brain_injury.aspx
http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-equipment/boxing-headgear-review
http://www.justanswer.com/medical/2j5r4-does-sparring-mixed-martial-arts-muay-thai-specifically.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101210075924.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328114523.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dementia_pugilistica
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choke-out

 

Thank you all for your answers, especially Hapuka. If you have any more stuff to share please post it on the thread.

 

Prolonged exposure sure, but that's mainly if you get knocked out a lot and the best ways to avoid that is....chewing gum! Muscles in your jaw as strengthened by it. Also getting punched in the face a lot helps too ...so I'm safe lol

 

stop typing stuff you have no verification off your spreading misinformation and making yourself look beyond dumb.

 

Stop being a foolI have verified sources, from a physical therapist, the chewing gum and the part about being punched in the face is true. I don't know what your problem is with me you're constantly ASSUMING I am wrong I don't see you coming up with any information that has been verified where mine has been so back off.

watch the language please

 

Thanks for posting. Standard procedure here on MAP is to cite books, provide quotations, give web links etc to back up statements. That way people can come here and know that they are getting informed debate and that information is established as reliable or otherwise.

 

Um...thank you? Sorry about the language

 

Who are they?
What are their qualifications?
What is their combative perdigree?
What research have they undertaken to prove this "fact"?
Where is their peer reviewed paper on it?

Which muscle do boxers stengthen to increase there ability to take a shot?

The neck

So chewing gum does nothing but make your breath minty

This is your problem - you post definitive statements that are absolutely wrong (your assertion about Krav Maga's age being another example where you are 100% wrong) and get prissy when challenged.

If you have evidence for a factual statement like the above then post it - otherwise you have not "proven" anything

 

well that would be my problem, you are constantly wrong. I wish simply chewing gum was enough to repair the brain damage caused from reading your posts.

 

doctors are warning that not only are concussions serious, but also that small, repetitive hits to the head can cause damage. football players, especially lineman, are showing the effects of this. doctors have started warning parents about children playing soccer also and heading the ball. see the section about cte for more information about what cte is.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/92189-overview

 

[Hazmatact, even though you've probably long since stopped reading this thread, I have a moment to give a genuine answer here while I wait for an MD to call that probably never will. Regardless, I'll try to make this quick. I felt this thread deserved a more sincere answer after the Chewing Gum Debacle.]

Speaking as a guy who studied neurology for four years and behavioral science for another four (and is not an MD), yes, sparring obviously increases your chances of long-term brain trauma. I've been coming to and from MAP since I was in my late teens I "think" (it was an old version of MAP then and those posts don't exist anymore), and in all those years I've read only a handful of posts as accurate, intelligent, and articulate as Hapuka's was in this thread. Someone should give that guy a MAP award.

So, to repeat, of course sparring increases your odds of long-term brain trauma. Anytime you hit yourself on the noodle, that's gonna happen in life. The harder it happens and the more frequently it happens, the more likely that brain trauma becomes.

Now, there are some things you can do that lessen the risk that weren't discussed in Hapuka's especially eloquent essay. You can train your brain to work smarter, and any boxer should. Science knows that people who use their brains for tasks like puzzle-solving are a lot less likely to develop dementia (which has a broad spectrum of multi-factorial causes by the way, not just concussions.). This is because the more you reinforce a wider spectrum of neural pathways, the stronger and more resilient those neural connections become. It's also because you use alternative pathways in your brain. When one isolated area sustains long-term damage and stop functioning, something called neuroplasticity takes over and your brain uses different routes for it's neural transmission. Imagine it like a rerouted highway under construction. This can be illustrated in why women have a reduced prevalence for developing dementia versus men. Women use both hemispheres more evenly while men generally rely on one.

So do chess, play cross-word puzzles, play puzzle video games, meditate, don't engage in too many mentally passive forms of entertainment like TV, etc. to lessen the likelihood and severity of long-term brain trauma when you aren't avoiding concussing yourself. Along with respecting the rest of your body with proper rest and nutrition and avoidance of recreational drugs (even prescription ones).

Hope this helps someone out there who wants to know about concussions.

 

I am in no way trying to jump on any anti-Koetsuji bandwagons right now (I have no idea who you are) by stating this, but I'm afraid this is grossly inaccurate my friend. Don't take my word for it alone though, read what the experts say on the subject and learn for yourself. If some MA teacher told you this, you should probably find a new teacher.

 

The neck was told to me as we'll, but I figured that was the more obvious of the three I was told

I don't get prissy when challenged , only when outright assumed I'm wrong with no evidence to the contrary like this

[ame="http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HvSjiq1pLVY"]YouTube - Family Guy Roadhouse[/ame]

 

You still haven't answered his questions.

 

You are serious?

You are actually SERIOUS?

Pause for one second - think about this; if chewing gum was in ANY way effective as you describe it (which it isn't btw) then wouldn't wrigleys be sponsoring fights? Wouldn't boxers all be chewing gum for hours at a time?

"enough bag work champ, go get your gum on"

You have not answered the questions either - evasion noted