Boxing, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), Muay Thai, and mixed martial arts (MMA) have surged in popularity in recent years, and it’s not difficult to see why. These disciplines build excellent full-body fitness, sharpen mental focus, and foster a training community built around discipline and grit.
But training smart is just as important as training hard; here’s how you can get the most from your combat sport of choice, develop long-lasting fitness, and keep injury risk to a minimum.
Common combat-related injuries
Injuries sustained through combat sports are rarely random. They follow predictable patterns, and understanding them is a key step to preventing them.
Upper limb injuries are a common complaint across striking-focussed disciplines. Rotator cuff issues often develop gradually, where high volumes of punching are often paired with insufficient scapular stability. In BJJ and wrestling, the shoulder takes a different kind of punishment – acriomioclavicular joint stresses can build up through vigorous matwork, while the neck and upper spine need to withstand high degrees of rotational forces to prevent throws and rolls.
Knee injuries are particularly common in grappling, with insufficient hip mobility often the overlooked culprit. When the hips struggle to rotate freely during guard passing or takedown defences, the knee compensates. Elsewhere, wrist and hand injuries affect strikers frequently; suboptimal wrist or elbow stability can offer clues as to where stress accrues in the fingers when striking.
- If you’ve been managing discomfort during your combat sport sessions, preventing a small issue growing into something bigger is well worth your time – get an in-depth assessment with an expert sports physiotherapist here
The common theme is that most of these injuries have multiple factors which add up before the issue shows itself – through accumulated load on a body that isn’t being adequately prepared, or recovered, for the demands of regular combat.
Preparing the body
Many recreational fighters turn up to combat sessions, and go straight from the car park to throwing complex combos in a handful of minutes. It’s understandable, but injury-prone habits such as these should be mitigated wherever possible.
A light jog on its own isn’t an effective warm-up for combat sports. Targeted muscular activation, joint mobilisations, and sport-specific movement preparations, all acclimatise the body to being repeatedly thrown to the ground or checking roundhouse kicks, which inevitably comes with a degree of injury risk.
Before striking sessions, the upper limb kinetic chain needs sufficient activation, mobilisation, and neural stimulation. Before grappling, hip and spinal mobility focus is essential. Whatever the content of the session ahead, it’s vital that the body is sufficiently primed for the unique physical challenge associated with combat sports.
- If you’re unsure what specific preparation your body needs for combat sports, have a specialist sports physiotherapist tailor a preparation routine for you – get in touch here
Being deliberate, and knowledgable, with your physical preparation will influence what your body can handle, and can significantly reduce the likelihood of injury whilst engaging with regular combat training.
Recovery: the overlooked piece of the puzzle
Recovery comes in several important forms, and different people will place viared amounts of attention to each. The recurring theme however, is that recovery often becomes an afterthought, or something that only the professionals need to worry about – which couldn’t be further form the truth.
Sleep (picture of someone with an eye mask, or black-out curtains or something)
Pound-for-pound, good-quality sleep is the most valuable and restorative recovery tool that we have access to – and yet many combat athletes neglect it’s importance.
Tissue repair, hormonal regulation, and motor skill consolidation all occur during deep sleep. Athletes who ‘get by’ on insufficent hours per night, or adopt poor sleep hygiene habits, are doing themselves a disservice in the long run, and risk losing many of the rewards of solid training sessions.
Nutrition (picture of whey shaker, supplements etc.)
One element to nutrition that combat athletes need to pay extra attention to, is timing.
Consuming protein within 60-90 minutes of training gives your muscles the building blocks for repair while they’re at their most receptive. Elsewhere, well-hydrated athletes have greater capacity to train at good intensity, and for longer, compared to their dehydrated opponents.
- We have an in-house team of expert sports nutritionists, working at the highest level of professional sport, ready to assist you with your tailored nutritional needs – speak with them here
Additional recovery tools (picture of LED sauna, massage guns etc.)
In today’s world, it’s hard to keep track of all the newest gadgets and technological tools that claim to offset muscle soreness, reduce fatigue, and aid recovery.
Many of these are excellent for combat athletes, but with hundreds of foam rollers, massage guns, and cold bath protocols now available, it’s worthwhile having a recovery regime tailored specifically to your needs and schedule- – as opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach.
When to fight on – and when to ring the bell
Combat athletes are often very tolerant to high pain and stress. In competition and when fighting professionally, this is an excellent trait; whereas for those prioritising getting fit, or at a more recreational or casual level, it can be a liability.
A useful perspective to have, is to consider the idea of discomfort vs pain.
Discomfort is relatively safe to train with, and shouldn’t strictly be viewed as to step off the mat. Tissues can build robustness, strength can be developed, and fitness can be maximised, while training for combat sports with discomfort.
Pain, however, is more likely to be a signal to stop. Muscle fatigue after intense sparring or grappling, and some degree of joint soreness is normal. Whereas pain that alters your technique, doesn’t ease off after warming up, or interferes with your sleep, is your body communicating something more serious.
It’s worth being knowledgeable to signs of potentially more serious injury, such as:
- Locked or painful clicks in a joint
- Pins and needles, or numbness travelling down a limb
- Swelling (particularly swelling that doesn’t quickly settle)
Session adaptation, or working around what you can safely do, is often a good approach for combat athletes too. For example, if you’re experiencing wrist discomfort from boxing, it may be an opportunity to prioritise footwork, trunk conditioning, or even cardiovascular conditioning via skipping – all whilst keeping you on the mat, and still benefiting your boxing progress.
- Speak to our strength and conditioning specialists for more targeted guidance, on how you can adapt and work around combat sport discomfort
Getting a sports physio in your corner
Combat athletes with the greatest longevity, often make use of physiotherapy in a proactive manner.
A specialist physiotherapist with in-depth knowledge of combat sports can analyse your movement patterns before injury occurs, identify the tissues or joints being routinely stress-tested, and construct a programme and interventions to help minimise your injury risk, keep you fighting harder and for longer.
Whether you’re coping with a small injury now, or want to consistently show up on the mat without missing sessions in the future, an assessment is an excellent starting point to identify your risk factors – and how to address these moving forwards.
Train with the discipline of a fighter and the intelligence of a champion. Speak to one of our physiotherapists today, and make longevity a key part of your fight plan.