hey ive been in MT for a few years and am currently wrestling right now but anytime someone disagrees with the sport they will bring up that it kills brain cells. After a while of hearing this and disregarding it i will finally just ask you guys what your opinions are (obviously most of you guys will disagree since this IS standup) and how boxing compares with other things that "kill" braincells. computer games, football, running into a door all kill braincells but how does boxing compare? I realize some have died from boxing from blood clots and such but every sport has its dangers and fatalities. Its tragic but its part of sports. Would losing braincells from boxing actaully have a big enough effect to decrease your intelligence?
I'm not aware that computer games can kill braincells Regarding your main question: would losing braincells from boxing decrease your intelligence, I would recommend you read here: http://www.parkinson.org/site/pp.asp?c=9dJFJLPwB&b=164717 the bottom line is you can get brain damage from boxing if you do it long/hard enough, as evidenced by the abnormalities found in some pro boxers brain MRI's. However, there is usually a correlation between total number of fights and % with noticeable brain damage symptoms and a further correlation might be found in the fighters win-loss record (e.g. assuming that losing fights you are taking more head blows vs. winning fights). It also seems the brain damage more relates to pyschological impairments and gross motor skills and not so much pure 'intelligence'. Also, in MT, you are probably not going to take as many head blows as boxing since MT allows striking all over the body, vs. boxing makes the waist up only a target, and you aren't usually fighting as many rounds as a typical boxing match. Here's an excerpt from the link above: Hope that helps!
I can tell you one thing everybodies bodies react differently to taking punches. I know guys who have no sign of being Punchy after many many tough fights and I know guys who had long amature careers where thye wore headgear who are punchy. A good example of a guy who is not punchy after long career is Vito Antefurmo he is not slurred speach or messed up at all. Guy who is punchy after short career is Kelsey banks who had maybe 21 fights but alot of amature experience. I tall depends on you. I notice in myself i am becoming a little lacking on short term memory but nothing else so dunno how it will be when i am 40 or 50. there is nothing you can do to protect yourself from it besides no get punched in the head
I can't imagine that getting hit in the head would be good for you but the effects really do seem to vary a lot from person to person. I've met guys that have been fighting for years and seemed fine, i've also met guys that have been fighting for years and seemed to be a bit "different".
Yes, losing brain cells is bad. It's that simple. That said, keep training and learn to block and slip punches.
it's a part of the sport. this may seem a bit harsh but if you can't take the heat, then get out of the kitcken.
it is ibad, notice how al ot of pro boxers develop mental problems later in life, for example Muhammad Ali. however, this isnt a real reason not to fight, as everything has a risk element
Not neccessarily true. I have good friend who had over 300 amature fights and he is punchy as a motherfucker. He fought amature from age 6 to age 27 never wnnted to turn pro because his family owns a gas station and he helps run it. He has slurred speach, blurry vision, ect.
Yup he was quite the amature boxing stud. He was offered alot of money to turn pro but he is loyal to his family and they need him to work the store.
you lose brain cells and gain new ones all the time, just like any other cells. You probably have to lose a lot for actual effects. football has a much higher concussion rate than most fighting sports. Computer games can be good for your brain, since you often have to use it. It's better than T.V. though they are both bad for your eyes. Running into a door is probably not something you do often. I can imagine bjj probably kills a few brain cells since the chokes deprive the brain of O2
Sorry dude, but unless you are participating in stem cell experiments, the consensus is you have a fixed amount of brain cells...thats why people with brain damage don't heal over time, versus the way a muscle injury will heal. Core topic is called "neurogenesis". Source: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro00/web1/Wall.html There is currently a lot of research related to stem cell therapies that are showing promise of regenerating brain cells and even some evidence that some brain cells may be replaced in the human brain on a low level....but the current evidence still points to fixed amount unless you are involved with stem cell experiments. Here's another clip on that: http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1998/04.16/Experimentsrais.html Hope that helps.
Liquid Snake, you're wrong on all three counts man. For the most part, you can't grow new brain cells (there is a limited amount of restorative capacity for the brain, but very little). Playing video games doesn't damage your eyes. And BJJ chokes only last 5-10 seconds or so, while it takes *far* longer than that to kill brain cells by 02 deprivation, usually at least several minutes. The brain damage is the absolute worst thing about striking sports -- I always justified it to myself by saying that 16 oz sparring gloves aren't that bad, and it's not like you're sitting there taking KO punches in sparring. But it's not good, no doubt about it. Very few amateurs get any neurological impairment (300 fights, okay maybe). But pros, those guys go glassy real fast.
you 10% of your brain so you got 90% to spare lmao... sorry bad joke. no i'm not worried. Boxing is actually different from other arts. actually i remember frank shamrock as saying he respects boxers so much cuz when he was learning it he was amazed how much punishment and hits to the head they take. also pro tend to fight much longer.. you have any idea how it's like to get approved for a 12 round fight? 3 doctors, physicals etc to all pass. it's not as easy as getting in to a 3 round tough man contest. if you take MT or other arts odds are becoming a broken down fighters isnt in your future althought there are "stories" of crippled 26 years old in tailand. if it really bothers you try toehr alternatives that causes less damage resulting from strikes. it's not a knock. if your not comfortable about something then it's up to you if you should do it. but if you decide to stick it out. realize that it comes with the territory.
It's just a trade-off. Do you want to be 60 and in good shape for a 60yr/old but have given up things (like boxing) that you really wanted to do at a younger age or would you rather have done the things you love at a younger age then have a little less capacity at 60? Fame, fortune, and doing what you love at a young age like Muhammad Ali or less glorious less exciting young age in exchange for more twilight years? It's better to burn out then to fade away
Im sorry but it depends on what sport if its boxing with 16oz gloves and your taking alot of punishment you are bound to loose more braincells than say a mma fights simply because of the padding from 3-4oz glove+quicker knockouts so less impacts whereas 16oz gloves more padding more punishment longer drawn fights before knockouts. But yes either way getting hit in the head is not good for your brain...But what is these days!
