Nutrition in Combat Sports

168 M. Zetaruk
Table 10.4 Seizures and risk in combat sports/martial arts
Characteristics
Impaired con-
Type
sciousness Motor impairment Risk in martial arts
Generalized Seizures
Tonic-clonic + + (Tonic/clonic contrac- Risk of fall on hard
tions)
surface
Atonic + (Usually) Abrupt loss of postural Risk of fall on hard
tone
surface
Absence + (Motionless; Eyelid flickering Unable to protect against
(simple)
Partial Seizures
nondistractable)
blows
Simple – + (Focal tonic or clonic; Minimal additional risk
may spread proximally)
of injury
Complex + + (Same as simple) Unable to protect against
blows; risk of fall on
hard surface
Secondarily + + (Same as tonic- Unable to protect against
generalized
clonic)
blows; risk of fall on
hard surface
in pediatric emergency rooms; therefore, the choice of martial art may impact the
risk of injury to the child with a single paired organ.
The majority of pediatric nephrologists discourage children with a single functioning
kidney from participating in combat sports. [53] However, a recent review
suggests that this restriction may be unwarranted. [53] Unfortunately, while
devices that may protect the kidney from trauma do exist, they are not permitted
in competition in most combat sports. Kidney injury from sports is less likely to
occur than catastrophic brain or spinal cord injury; [53] Nevertheless, parents of
children with a single functioning kidney should be advised that renal injury could
be devastating, and that the incidence of such injury in combat sports in childhood
has not been determined.
10.6.5 Infectious Mononucleosis
Infectious mononucleosis (IM) typically affects older children and young adults.
Epstein-Barr virus is most commonly implicated in this condition, but other viruses
may produce “mononucleosis -like” illnesses. IM is characterized by fever, exudative
or membranous pharyngitis, generalized lymphadenopathy, and splenomegaly. [54]
Splenomegaly occurs in 50–100% of patients of IM, while hepatomegaly occurs in
10–50% of patients. [55, 56] The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that
children with acute splenomegaly or hepatomegaly refrain from sport participation to
reduce the risk of organ rupture. [43] Splenic rupture is a rare but serious complication