Expert: Melanie Ley - 6/18/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi Melanie

Probably you heard about Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury.

What are the risks of going down with this disease if you box? Maybe it's just better to train boxing as a leisure instead of being involved in real fights in the ring?

Thanks


ANSWER: No, I have never heard of "Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury" nor do I know any boxer who has been diagnosed with what-ever-it-is.  On a published list of unsafe sports, amateur boxing ranks down at the bottom.  Why?  Because the most important thing is safety of the boxers.  If you want to leisurely train or compete is a decision you will have to make.  There is always risk involved in boxing, as in any sport, but in the 21 years I've been involved, instances of traumatic or long-lasting injuries are rare.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Melanie. Thanks for the answer.

You wrote: "On a published list of unsafe sports, amateur boxing ranks down at the bottom" Do you remember which sport was on top of this list?

You wrote about amateur boxing. Do you think that wearing headgear successfully protects you against injuries?? Thanks

Answer
This was cited in "Cantu, Boxing and Medicine, Human Kinetics Illinois, 1995":

Fatality rates per 100,000 participants:

Horse racing - 128
Sky diving - 123
Hang gliding - 55
Mountaineering - 51
Scuba diving - 11
Motorcycle racing - 7
College football - 3
Boxing - 1.3

According to the National Safety Council's 1996 accident report, boxing ranked 2 on its list of sports injuries.  Boxing ranks lower in its number of injuries when compared to hockey, soccer, gymnastics and in-line skating.

14 years later, the stats remain the same.