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Injuries Commonly Seen in Combat Sports

by: Hiro Perera

In all sports, there is a fundamental understanding and expectation that participants will exert their bodies to the threshold of demand (and sometimes beyond this demand) in order to secure victory. However, when the body loses the ability to tolerate forces applied to it, we see injuries occur. This can be seen, for instance, when a jumper’s Achilles tendon cannot withstand the forces applied to it during a landing and inevitably strains or worse yet, ruptures. When you take into account that in combat sports, there is now an adversarial participant who is trying to inflict upon your forces to overwhelm you through striking, takedowns, and submissions, we can see that the risk for injuries may be more prominent in mixed martial arts compared to any other sport.

Recently, the Ultimate Fighting Championship Performance Institute (@UFCPI) did a study to determine what were the most common injuries fighters experienced, what was the mechanism for the injury, and whether there was a difference in injury types while competing versus training. The results were quite interesting. From June 2017-2018, the UFCPI managed and treated 220 individuals and 322 injuries (248 being sustained during competition). Injuries by body part were distributed in this order

Competition:

Area of Injury                                Injury rate

Head/face/concussions                  77.8%

Wrist/Hand                                      19.5%

Knee                                                   15.6%

Foot                                                    10.7%

Shoulder                                            9.7%

Lower Leg                                          5.3%

Elbow                                                 4.8%

Training:

Area of Injury                                Injury Rate

Knee                                                   37%

Shoulder                                            18.5%

Wrist/Hand                                      14.8%

Neck                                                    7.4%

Forearm                                             7.4%

Elbow                                                 7.4%

Ankle                                                  7.4%

It can be concluded that whether you are a combat sports athlete or enthusiast every body part can be considered an area of risk, with head/face/concussions being higher in prevalence during competition and knee injuries being higher in prevalence with training. More information on specific types of injuries, the severity of injuries from a discipline of fighting, and much more can be found in the link below. Having an understanding of which areas of the body are under greater demand and risk allows for a skilled clinician to formulate plans with their athletes to reduce injury risk and increase performance.

Reference: A Cross-Sectional Performance Analysis And Projection of the UFC Athlete. UFCPI

https://media.ufc.tv/ufcpi/UFCPI_Book_2018.pdf 
Fitness, Performance, Uncategorized

The Importance Of Strength Training For An Athlete’s Development

Written by Jorge Sanchez

Strength training has become such an integral part of an athlete’s training regimen for some time now. You would assume it is universally accepted as standard operating procedure. However, judging from some of the feed-back we’ve received, there still appears to be a fairly large contingent of well-meaning folks who are recipients of push-back regarding strength training’s efficacy and overall benefits.

Whether the concerns stem from uninformed parents/guardians, misguided coaches or athletic directors, or antiquated gender stereotyping and misconceptions, strength training still receives a percentage of bad rap in some small restricted circles.

 

Here are just three important reasons why you should incorporate strength training.

It is an injury prevention module.

Injuries are inevitable in sport competition. The cumulative effect of the constant, inherent pounding on the body eventually takes its toll. However, a comprehensive, well-organized, properly administered and year-round strength training program results in musculo-tendon units that are more resilient to the stresses and impact forces sustained in athletic endeavor.

 

Improvements in overall flexibility.

Full-range strength training, like that which focuses on movement patterns that complete the biomechanically correct concentric (raising phase) and eccentric (lowering phase) functions of the targeted area, will have an enhancing effect on mobility and flexibility of that structure. Keep in mind that muscles work in pairs, and while one compartment of a joint is shortened (contracted), the opposite compartment is lengthened (stretched). Hence, taking the time and effort to work a given strength training set in a focused concentric and eccentric manner pays dividends in long-term flexibility improvements.

Do not fall for the antiquated notions that strength training results in stiff, robotic, clumsy, unskilled athletes. On the contrary, you will find that your athletes demonstrate more power, speed, quickness and athleticism as the result of progressive resistance training program than ever before.

 

Increased bone mineral density.

“Ahh one of my favorites”. Strength training places stress on the body, but it is a good stress when properly administered. We’ve previously discussed on the positive benefits to muscle and connective tissue. In terms of bone material, progressive resistance training heightens protein and mineral content. Significant improvements in bone density have been shown to occur after a mere four months of dedicated strength training.

Increased bone density results in stronger bones that are more resilient to injury.

I can go on-and-on but these are just a few points from a plethora of “studies based facts” on why we should consider strength training for our young athletes and overall long term health.

 

ReferenceWestcott, W.L., Resistance Training is Medicine: Effects of Strength Training on Health, Current Sports Medicine Reports, July/August, 2012; 11:4.
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Mistakes I’ve Learned From

Written by Scott Grondin

“Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.”

-Morihei Ueshiba

Every now and then I look back on my past training logs, training programs, and exercise prescriptions and wonder what was I thinking? It’s amazing to see the process from which we have started and the mistakes that I have made not only in my own training but in the training of others. Making mistakes is part of the learning process, the key lies in the improvement from those mistakes and the adjustment made each time. It is hard to narrow down just one mistake or, as I prefer to say, “learning experience” that I’ve had, but I’ll pick the most common one I see with trainers today and that is advancing athletes too quickly – improper progression

I am just as guilty as any other trainer, but over time I have personally seen the difference in properly progressing an athlete. In my early training years, I believed that in order to build a faster athlete I needed them to do advanced drills that other elite level athletes were doing. I would prescribe specific drills/ exercises and focused on the speed at which we could do them instead of the quality and details in which they performed them. Over the long run the athletes would get faster, but only in small increments without ever correcting the underlying issues that are inhibiting them.

Recently I spent my first 5 sessions with an athlete completely on foot placement, foot stabilization, and foot striking in that order. At the end of those 5 sessions, we had completely changed the way that athlete struck the ground each time they made contact with it. This correction equated to increase speed and power almost instantly. In my earlier years of training, I would have gone right to more advanced drills and attempted to correct the issue in those drills. Over time the corrections would have been made but many times it would take 3-6 months before I would see the effect the same as I did in just those 5 weeks of focused and strategic progressions.

The above example is just one of the many “learning experiences” I could have written about. Each time we make a mistake that we are able to correct, learn, and improve upon is a step in the right direction. These experiences allow us to continually grow and build as trainers. Remember learning is a continual process that should never end.

 

Trainer’s Note

Focusing on the way an athlete’s foot is positioned is key. Improper foot positioning can equate to inches of height or distance on every strike of the ground. Over the course of a 40yd dash, this tiny detail equates to tenths of seconds off their time.

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Supporting Our Community With Coach Peter and Chapman Partnership

We at ADAPT will have a donation box set up at the gym and we will be accepting anything you all can donate, including but not limited to items such as clothing and accessories, shoes, socks, non-perishable food, toiletries, school supplies, books, toys, furniture, baby items, towels, and linens. Peter will then make a drop off to a Chapman Partnership location where donations (including the socks!!!) will be distributed to participants. Donation box will close until the 15th. Click HERE to donate through gofundme.

WHO IS CHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP?

We have joined in with Peter and his partnership with a non-for-profit organization called Chapman Partnership (@chapmanpartnership). Their mission is to empower homeless men, women, and children to build a positive future by providing the resources and assistance critical to growth and stability. They offer a wide array of support services that go far beyond just emergency shelter. Including comprehensive case management, health, mental and dental care, day care, job development and training, job placement, permanent housing assistance and other support from a variety of social service agencies all under one roof to 800 men, women and children daily.
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Which Type of Water Should You Drink?

We all wonder how much water we should be drinking but do you ever think about which type of water you should be drinking? Does it really matter? Short answer is yes. We all know that water is important but do you know its function when it comes to regulating your hormones and organ functions? There is a whole science behind it.

I recently listened to episode 73 titled Hydration and Water Masterclass by Shawn Stevenson. During this episode, I have learned that water is responsible for transporting hormones, neurotransmitters, and is an integral part in the proper function of your central nervous system (your brain). A drop in hydration levels of just 5% causes a 25-30% drop in energy levels.

Your blood is 90% water.

Your blood is your body’s transport system of nutrients, to wastes, and to many other necessary bodily functions. According to research, 75% of people are chronically dehydrated. Not just dehydrated, chronically dehydrated. Oftentimes. People will mistake thirst cues from their hypothalamus for hunger; in other words, you’re eating when you are thirsty! Which may lead to eating excess calories and potentially dehydration. Simply adding high-quality water (glass bottled spring water for example) can fix so many aspects of your entire life upgrade your health. We all should be doing this.

Do you know how to take care of your hormones, thyroid, liver, insulin and how to ensure that they’re functioning optimally? All of these organs serves important functions when it comes to weight loss and fat loss. When you are under high stress, whether at home or at work, the organs are not functioning optimally and it can actually inhibit your ability to burn fat, regardless of your activity level or healthy eating habits.

We all have stress, we all deal with some sleep issues, and we all can improve. It all starts by making simple fixes such as adding high quality water to your life, practicing toxin reducing techniques through your food choices, developing morning routines, learning simple breathing techniques to manage stress, and many more. These might be the missing dimension in your fitness and health journey. Take time to focus on the details and optimizing the human body (before even thinking about what workout will burn more fat or what/when/how much should I eat). This should be THE top priority. By exploring different topics on the Model Health Show my outlook on health and fitness has changed drastically. Maybe it can help you.

 

Written by Audrey Banada

 

Check out these links to read more

73 titled Hydration and Water Masterclass by Shawn Stevenson

https://www.watercures.org/how-much-water-to-drink.html

https://nutritionfacts.org/2017/05/25/how-much-water-should-we-drink-every-day/
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Never Stop Learning

After years of training it is common ground for trainers to have a routine set or feel that we know everything. This couldn’t be further from the truth or worse for our clients’. Continuing education is key for every trainer or coach. We are only at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to human performance. Everyday something new is being learned or disproved and we as trainers need to stay on top of the times. This is why at ADAPT we constantly try to participate in new courses, seminars, or other forms of continuing education.

Recently I completed my CSAC, Certified Speed and Agility Coach certification. This course was over 40 hours of lecture, demos, and quizzes that really emphasized proper biomechanics and drill progression for SAQ. (Speed, Agility, and Quickness) As in many courses there are many things you may already know, have seen, or even are currently doing with your clients. However, hitting the refresh button is always needed. I was reminded of many drills that I have used prior but wasn’t currently using now. It is easy to get caught in the flow of the program or similar drills which is why we need to hit a refresh button every once in a while.

This course did exactly that for me. It taught me many new things, but the biggest takeaway for me was sticking to the basics that I had learned long ago. Emphasizing the details of the basic movement patterns until they are hardened like concrete into that athletes movement pattern. Once this was completed than we can progress into the flashy and exciting elements of training that is common portrayed in social media everywhere.

After completing the course I was extremely motivated and began to create ADAPT’s own SAQ handbook to use as our teams prescription SAQ training.

Written by Scott Grondin