Brain Punch: K-1 Fights Affect Brain Wave Activity in Professional Kickboxers.

Rydzik, Łukasz; Kopańska, Marta; Wąsacz, Wojciech; Ouergui, Ibrahim; Obmiński, Zbigniew; Pałka, Tomasz; Ambroży, Tadeusz; Malliaropoulos, Nikos; Maffulli, Nicola; Lota, Kabir Singh; Jaszczur-Nowicki, Jarosław; Król, Paweł; Czarny, Wojciech; Szczygielski, Jacek

Abstract

Kickboxing is a popular striking combat sport, and K-1 is a type of kickboxing. Direct head blows can cause significant long-term injury and affect brain wave activity. We aim to compare the changes in brain wave activities of fighters during a K-1 kickboxing contest to those in a control group, who were striking a punching bag and were not hit by another K-1 athlete. A total of 100 professional Polish K-1 kickboxers were split evenly into experimental (n = 50, age 25.5 ± 4.63 years) and control (n = 50, age 26.6 ± 5.22 years) groups. We used quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) to assess the spectrum of brain wave activity (delta, theta, alpha, sensorimotor rhythm (SMR), beta-1 and beta-2) before and after an intervention (experimental: K-1 contest, control: simulated contest), with eyes open and then closed. The number of direct blows to the head was also recorded for all bouts. Comparative and statistical analyses between selected variables were performed. K-1 fighters showed elevated baseline brain activity for the entire delta band (p < 0.001). There was significant variation in brain activity among the experimental group following the intervention and compared with the control group for all wave types (p < 0.001). No significant variation in activity was found in the control group. The number of direct head blows was positively correlated with brain activity, at delta and beta-2 wave frequencies. K-1 kickboxing is associated with detectable changes in brain wave activity. It is presently unclear what the long-term effects of these changes in brain wave activities are, and longitudinal studies are necessary to study the brain health of kickboxers. [Abstract copyright: © 2024. The Author(s).]

Citation

Rydzik, Ł., Kopańska, M., Wąsacz, W., Ouergui, I., Obmiński, Z., Pałka, T., …Szczygielski, J. (in press). Brain Punch: K-1 Fights Affect Brain Wave Activity in Professional Kickboxers. Sports Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02082-5

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 13, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Aug 7, 2024
• Deposit Date: Aug 27, 2024
• Journal: Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)
• Print ISSN: 0112-1642
• Electronic ISSN: 1179-2035
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02082-5
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/888126