Martial Arts News and Research

RSS

What 107 professional MMA fighters actually ate before and after weigh-in

Professional UFC fighters followed highly structured dietary patterns around competition, sharply restricting carbohydrates, fiber, fluids, and sodium before weigh-in before rapidly increasing carbohydrate, fluid, and sodium intake afterward. Despite aggressive post-weigh-in refueling, carbohydrate intake fell again on fight day, suggesting that some fighters may not fully restore glycogen stores before competition.

3 Sep 2026

Sports-based interventions may improve motor skills in children with autism

Research suggests that more than half of children with autism spectrum disorder, a neurodevelopmental condition, experience motor impairments.

22 Jul 2026

Study reveals how bacterial collagenase efficiently breaks down collagen

Collagen is an important protein that helps build the tissues of humans and animals. It is very strong because it is made of three protein strands twisted tightly together like a rope. Because of this sturdy structure, ordinary protein-cutting enzymes usually cannot break it down.

3 Apr 2026

Rhythmic carbon dioxide exposure may enhance brain waste clearance mechanisms

Abnormal clumps of proteins like α-synuclein, amyloid beta and tau are associated with neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, but a waste removal mechanism called the glymphatic pathway can clear these proteins and other metabolic byproducts from the brain.

20 Jan 2026

Head trauma impairs brain waste clearance in professional fighters

The brain's waste-clearing system significantly declines in function with repeated head impacts, according to a new study of cognitively impaired professional boxers and mixed martial arts fighters. The findings will be presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

26 Nov 2025

Sock hops and concerts: How some places spent opioid settlement cash

Officials in Irvington, New Jersey, had an idea. To raise awareness about the dangers of opioid use and addiction, the township could host concerts with popular R&B artists like Q Parker and Musiq Soulchild.

3 Nov 2025

Study shows MMA sparring hits blood health harder than boxing

Research shows MMA athletes experience greater blood changes than boxers, highlighting the need for specific recovery strategies to enhance performance.

2 Jun 2025

Head injuries in stunt performers: Unveiling the silent crisis

In the heart-pounding action scenes of your favorite blockbuster, it's not always the A-list actor taking the risks but the unsung heroes - stunt performers - who bring those breathtaking moments to life.

10 Jun 2024

New immunotherapy borrows cancer's tricks to unleash powerful T cells

Immunotherapies using engineered T cells have ushered in a new era in cancer treatment, but they have their limits. They may cause side effects or stop working, and they do not work at all against 90% of cancers.

8 Feb 2024

Early-stage dementia patients may benefit from Tai Chi, but further research is required

Recent systematic review finds inconclusive evidence on Tai Chi's ability to delay dementia or improve cognitive function in adults with mild cognitive impairment. The study calls for more robust, large-scale research to clarify Tai Chi's neurological benefits and its potential as an MCI intervention.

31 Oct 2023

Experts warn of unintended consequences of using GLP-1RAs to treat childhood obesity

A team of clinicians, exercise scientists, pharmaceutical scholars, ethicists and behavioral experts at the University of California, Irvine, outlined their concerns that the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) to treat childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes may have unintended and adverse consequences for children's health.

28 Aug 2023

Review strengthens evidence that repetitive head impact exposure as chief risk factor for CTE

During the past 17 years, there has been a remarkable increase in scientific research concerning chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) with researchers at the BU CTE Center at the forefront.

10 Feb 2023

What is the effectiveness of different exercise modalities in reducing cancer-related fatigue in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy?

Researchers examined the effect of exercise modalities on cancer-related fatigue.

6 Feb 2023

Retired MMA fighters and boxers may see some improvement in thinking and memory scores

Boxers and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters may see some recovery in their thinking and memory skills as well as brain structure after they stop fighting, according to a new study published in the September 14, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

14 Sep 2022

Understanding the impact of variability in learning and generalization

Variability is crucially important for learning new skills. Consider learning how to serve in tennis. Should you always practice serving from the exact same location on the court, aiming at exactly the same spot? Although practicing in more variable conditions will be slower at first, it will likely make you a better tennis player at the end.

13 May 2022

Fighters who rapidly cut weight before bouts are more prone to concussions, finds study

Fighters who rapidly cut weight before bouts are at a higher risk of suffering concussions or being misdiagnosed with head trauma, researchers have revealed for the first time.

13 Apr 2022

Traditional martial arts can improve self-regulation in school children

The report, published in the journal Developmental Psychology, details how researchers from the University of Surrey studied 240 primary school students aged 7 - 11 years across a period of 11 weeks.

7 Jan 2022

Women who compete in martial arts and combat sports challenge gender norms

Women who compete in martial arts and combat sports challenge gender norms in their profession but often embrace them wholeheartedly and even overdo them in their personal lives, finds a UC Riverside study published in Sociology of Sport Journal.

23 Oct 2020

When the pandemic closes your gym, ‘come for the party, stay for the workout’

Evaristo "Risto" Grant counted down from 10 as his clients held their plank positions and shook with the effort. Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" blared in the background. Grant paced around his clients on their yoga mats, shouting words of encouragement.

2 Sep 2020

Less-lethal weapons blind, maim and kill. Victims say enough is enough.

There's a gap in Scott Olsen's memory for the night of Oct. 25, 2011. The Iraq War vet remembers leaving his tech job in the San Francisco Bay Area and taking a BART train to join an Occupy Oakland protest against economic and social inequality.

24 Jul 2020