New Study on Headgear Use

Phrost · 2/09/2012 1:09pm

In what would ideally be a "effing duh" study, medical researchers have confirmed that people who refuse to wear headgear while sparring are more likely to suffer head injuries. Or as they put it in the article:

The study supports the theory that head and neck impacts accumulate fastest in fighters who don't use protective headgear.

"These results show that gloves and headgear can offer some meaningful protection, proving that fighters - especially young fighters - should wear headgear whenever possible," said Edward Benzel, M.D., Chair of Cleveland Clinic's Department of Neurological Surgery.

So yeah, wear headgear, dumbass. Thanks to Tom "I Refuse to Use Tapatalk" Kagan, for the link.

**Prone** · Posted On: 2/10/2012 10:04am

This picture makes me dizzy. But the rest is like "umm, yeah, thanks for stating the obvious" ;)

**Odacon** · Posted On: 2/10/2012 3:37pm

Whats tapatalk?

**lionknight** · Posted On: 2/10/2012 3:44pm

Originally Posted by Odacon

Whats tapatalk?

An app for posting to forums.

**CrackFox** · Posted On: 2/10/2012 3:51pm

I don't consider this to be stating the obvious at all. I still have to read the article, but if they've managed to provide a convincing argument, then it's going to change the way I train. (When I do striking, which is quite rare these days now that I think about it.)

EDIT: Does anyone have a link or citation for the actual paper. All I'm seeing in the link provided is a loosey-goosey press release.

**Masaka!** · Posted On: 2/11/2012 10:38am

this one time i read about the death of an ammy fighter who went a few bouts in a short period of time, the article said something along the lines of headgear not significantly decreasing chances of injury. am i the only one recalling this?

**judoka_uk** · Posted On: 2/11/2012 11:13am

Originally Posted by CrackFox

EDIT: Does anyone have a link or citation for the actual paper. All I'm seeing in the link provided is a loosey-goosey press release.

I'd guess this is it:
http://thejns.org/doi/abs/10.3171/2011.12.JNS111478

Edit:

Oh blimey there isn't a pay wall to get to the full study either:
http://thejns.org/doi/pdf/10.3171/2011.12.JNS111478

**Mr.MuayFly** · Posted On: 2/11/2012 5:56pm

i spar with pro boxers 5 days a week and headgear has saved me a few times haha real talk

**Mr.MuayFly** · Posted On: 2/11/2012 5:57pm

i spar with pro boxers 3 out of 5 days a week and headgear is a life saver okay real talk

**Neo Sigma** · Posted On: 2/12/2012 6:17pm

I could swear I've also seen here that there was research done that indicated that the extra weight of headgear caused the head and neck to snap harder and rattle the brain more.