Combat Sports Medicine

Sports medicine and sports science are relatively new and rapidly developing fields of knowledge. During the past 2 decades, a significant body of scientific knowledge has been published in these areas. However, there is a demand for practical ref- ences which address sports medicine and science in the context of different sports. This demand is higher in some sports including combat sports, which are highly physically and mentally demanding, and cause challenging issues such as risk of blood-borne infections, weight reduction, head injuries, stress management, and safety for women and children. This book has been developed to meet the needs of the practitioners who work with combat sports athletes in order to improve their health and performance. Combat sports include four Olympic sports (boxing, wrestling, judo, and t- kwondo) and other popular sports such as karate, kick boxing, and Wushu. These sports are popular in most countries of the world, both at competitive and rec- ational levels. Combat sports are practiced by people of different ages for a variety of reasons such as to gain fitness and health benefits and to learn self-defense.

A significant body of scientific knowledge has been published in sports medicine in the past few decades, but there is huge demand for practical references that address different types of sport. This demand is highest in combat sports which are both highly physical and mentally demanding, and cause challenging issues such as risk of blood borne infections, weight reduction, head injuries, and stress management.

Combat Sports Medicine has two parts, the first dealing with common topics in many combat sports: nutrition and psychology; ethical and social issues, including doping; injuries and infections; and combat sports in specific groups. The second part of the book covers aspects of sports science and injuries in selected popular combat sports are discussed.

An international team of contributors have developed this book to meet the needs of practitioners who work with combat sports athletes. Based on the best available research evidence, this represents a key reference for neurologists, psychologists, orthopedic surgeons and sports injury specialists involved in the management of patients who practice contact sports.