Injury-Reduction in Combat Sports: The Role of S&C
Effective injury-reduction strategies in combat sports rely on evidence-informed practice. However, given the gap often existing between research and practice, Anthony Weldon emphasizes the importance of investigating the strength and conditioning (S&C) practices of practitioners across combat sports.
Combat sports are characterized by repeated high-intensity efforts, rapid accelerations and decelerations, physical contact, technical complexity, and substantial physiological demands(1-3). Athletes participating in combat sports are exposed to a wide range of injury mechanisms, including acute traumatic injuries resulting from strikes, throws, takedowns, and collisions, as well as overuse injuries associated with repetitive loading and inadequate recovery(1-3). Consequently, S&C and injury reduction have become a major focus for coaches, clinicians, and performance staff working within these sports(1-8).
Traditional approaches in S&C often focused primarily on improving strength and power, whilst modern S&C programs now incorporate injury-reduction strategies to enhance tissue resilience, improve movement quality, and support long-term athlete development(4-8).
Survey-based research conducted among coaches and S&C practitioners provides valuable information regarding how these strategies are implemented in applied settings and highlights the challenges encountered when translating evidence into practice. This mini-review synthesizes findings from five survey-based studies examining S&C practices in combat sports(4-8). The studies investigated coaching and athlete practices in Wrestling, Judo, Taekwondo, and Kickboxing, providing insight into training methodologies, injury-reduction strategies, exercise selection, monitoring procedures, and barriers to effective implementation. Understanding these trends is important for practitioners seeking to design evidence-informed rehabilitation and injury-reduction programs that align with the realities of combat sport environments.
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