Muscle and Fitness speaks to Todd McGrath, MD,  sports medicine physician at HSS about injury prevention and recovery methods in mixed martial arts (MMA). 

Mixed martial arts is inherently an endeavor of great physical risk. As a full contact sport, match cards often change with short notice as combatants are forced to miss bouts due to injury. Then there’s the age factor, as many observers feel that being over 35 and entering the cage is a fools errand. Fortunately, whether you compete or not, MMA training is a great way to get fit, and is enjoyed by people of all abilities and backgrounds.

Some of the most common injuries in MMA are head injuries followed by hand/wrist. Lacerations, concussions and fractures.

According to Dr. McGrath, “Regardless of age, MMA is a contact sport with a high rate of injuries. Athletes should have a good understanding of this and take appropriate measures to mitigate risk as much as possible. It is important to recover appropriately and fully before returning to full contact. As athletes experience an age-related decline in fitness/strength/endurance, it may be harder to maintain the high level of fitness needed to fight or recover well enough to continue fighting and this can be an indication to step away from full contact due to increasing risk of injury. This does not mean that the athletes should not continue training. The training involved in MMA certainly leads to a high level of fitness and probably helps to slow age-related declines in fitness.”

Read the full article at muscleandfitness.com.