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Health problems include injury, illnesses, pain and mental health concerns, even when they do not prevent training. Athletes reported problems 7 days after competition, with weekly follow-up on their worst problems.

• 175 competitors — 238 responses. Some competitors responded after more than one contest.
• 146 (61%) responses — no health problem
• 92 (39%) responses — at least 1 health problem
• 411 reported health problems — reported by 81 competitors across 92 contest participations 
• 315 injuries — multiple problems could be reported
• 96 illnesses —injuries and illness can occur together

Training impact at 7 days

• Full training with a problem — 9% of all 238 responses | 21 responses
• Reduced training due to a problem — 19% of all 238 responses | 45 responses
• Unable to train due to a problem — 10% of all 238 responses | 24 responses

Health impact and recovery

• Substantial health problems — 26 problems. 26 out of 90 assessed (29%): 2 missing. Moderate to severe reductions in training or performance at 7 days.
• Most of the worst health problems resolved within 3 weeks. Median days: MMA 20. Muay Thai 16. Incomplete follow-up may underestimate recovery time.

Reference

Doherty CS, Barley OR, Fortington LV. Incidence of Health Problems in Australian Mixed Martial Arts and Muay Thai Competitors. Sports Medicine—Open. 2025;11:60.doi.org/10.1186/s40798-025-00880-3