How is the health of fighters at risk in combat sports, and what measures are being implemented to protect their well-being both during and after competition?
Part 1
Dr. Bharat Narapareddy, “Expert Speaks About Mixed Martial Arts and Brain Injury Study.” Youtube, uploaded by Hartford Healthcare, May 3, 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw48HT4fjRo&t=21s
Part 2
The news report “Expert Speaks About Mixed Martial Arts and Brain Injury Study,” begins by the reporter stating that research shows repeated blows to the head can affect the brain in many ways. Dr. Bharat Narapareddy, a neuropsychiatrist and mixed martial artist himself, is brought in to discuss the results of his research. He and his team at the Institute of Living studied the effects of weight class on neuropsychiatric outcomes and brain volumes in these martial artists. The data they gathered was from a professional fighter’s brain study based in Cleveland. They concluded that the higher in weight you go, the more prone you are to brain injuries. This is due to the sheer power that the heavier fighters have rather than the less power the smaller fighters have. The heavyweight fighters in the studies were found to have greater yearly reductions in brain volume and performance. This means that the heaviest and biggest weight class of fighters have picked up severely more brain damage than others. They also concluded that the power of the hits they take have a bigger effect than the amount of hits they take. Another negative health effect of fighting that was found in these studies were the dehydration of fighters. Fighters dehydrate themselves before a fight to make the necessary weight for their weight class. Fighters can lose up to 20 pounds in a matter of days. This was linked to brain damage due to fighters not having as much strength physically and mentally during the intense fight. At the end, Dr. Narapareddy discussed the mental struggles fighters face and how Hartford Healthcare can assist them.
Part 3
The source is a news report from Hartford Healthcare. The primary audience is fighters; the secondary audience is the general public. Dr. Bharat Narapareddy and Hartford Healthcare are informing us. The video style is persuasive and defensive. Logos are mainly being used by them stating the research gathered from their studies. The purpose of this news report is to spread awareness of the dangers of competing in mixed martial arts. Dr. Bharat Narapareddy is credible due to his experience and levels of education. He has been in his practice for 20 years. He is also a mixed martial artist himself, therefore he has seen people get injured in front of him. Hartford Healthcare is credible because it receives the highest safety rating from leapfrog – an independent non-profit healthcare watchdog that aims to give patients simple ways to understand safety. It measures a hospital’s ability to protect patients from preventable errors. It is also the #1 ranked hospital in the Metro Hartford area.
Part 4
“We found that it’s not the volume of the blows but the sheer force of the blows themselves.” (Dr. Bharat Narapareddy)
“Dehydration often cause these fighters to lose 10 to 15 to 20 pounds in a very short period of time and they are entering the fight in a very dehydrated state…one has to wonder when you are taking repetitive head impacts over the course of a couple of rounds of a fight, what role does dehydration play…” (Dr. Bharat Narapareddy)
“We found that our heavyweight fighters had greater yearly reductions in brain volume and functional performance.” (Dr. Bharat Narapareddy)
