Nutrition in Combat Sports

238 R.R. Wroble
contact. Contact with an opponent with a cold sore or facial rash is also a risk factor.
Strauss et al. (1989) identified that abrasive shirts were risk factor in spreading
herpes gladiatorum. Following a collegiate wrestling team for 3 years, they found
a variation in herpes episodes coincided with changes in shirts. In the first year of
the study, wrestlers wore 100% cotton shirts, and 9.8 episodes per 100 wrestlers
were identified. In the second year, when 50% cotton/50% polyester shirts were
used, 73.8 episodes per 100 wrestlers were documented.
Systemic illnesses are endemic for these reasons in addition to the fact that the
hot, sweaty wrestler often emerges to a cold wintry evening after practice. Also,
poor nutrition and dehydration have been suggested to compromise the immune
status of wrestlers who are cutting weight.
13.6.5 Environment
The overall pattern of training during the season may affect injury rates. Patacsil
found that most injuries, 123 of 200 (61.5%), occurred in the first half of the season.
In a study of six college wrestling seasons, more than three times as many injuries
occurred during the first month as any other month during the wrestling season
(Wroble et al. 1986a) .
The condition of the wrestling room is important. Jarrett reported that 1% of the
injuries occurred when a wrestler struck a surface other than the wrestling mat
(clock, table, and floor). Unpadded walls, obstacles such as columns or bleachers,
inadequate space, and extreme heat or humidity are obviously detrimental. A mat in
good condition is essential for aiding in the prevention of serious injuries. Mysnyk
et al. (1986) found a much higher incidence of prepatellar bursitis in the off-season
when compared to the regular season. The use of older, deconditioned wrestling
mats during the off-season is cited as the potential reason. If mats are in poor condition,
their ability to absorb shock may deteriorate and thus increase injury risk when
wrestlers land on them. Another item is cleanliness of the mats. Without daily
disinfection, the counts of microorganisms on the mat would rise and so increase the
chance of transmission of dermatologic infections from mat to wrestler.
13.6.6 Protective Equipment
The amount of protective gear worn in wrestling is minimal. Headgear has been
investigated, and not wearing headgear is a risk factor in sustaining auricular
hematoma. Nonetheless, these injuries do occur with headgear on (Schuller et al.
1989a ). This suggests that proper fit and proper choice of headgear are also important.
The role of knee pads and shoes has not been evaluated, but in other sports
they have been effective in preventing injuries. Mouthguards are not a required
piece of equipment for wrestling. Considering that American football, ice hockey,