Injury Pattern and Prevention in Muay Thai: A Comparative Analysis Across Athlete Skill Levels
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55544/ijrah.6.4.60Keywords:
Muay Thai, kickboxing, sports injury epidemiology, injury prevention, neuromuscular training, combat sports, traumatism, load management, concussion, athlete skill levelAbstract
Muay Thai ("Art of Eight Limbs") is a full-contact combat sport with rapidly expanding global participation, registered in over 110 countries under the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) by 2023. Despite this growth, comparative data on injury patterns across athlete skill levels remain limited, and no unified evidence-based prevention framework designed specifically for Muay Thai coaches and practitioners currently exists. This study synthesises peer-reviewed epidemiological data to characterise the type, frequency, and anatomical distribution of injuries at each competitive tier, and proposes an original five-component Integrated Injury Prevention Model (IIPM) tailored to the biomechanical and training demands of the sport. A systematic review of literature was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Results indicate that lower extremity injuries predominate during competition (45%), whereas head and neck injuries account for up to 32% in sanctioned bouts. Professional fighters face an injury odds ratio 2.5 times higher than amateurs. The IIPM combines load management, neuromuscular training warm-ups, technique-specific drills, protective equipment compliance, and concussion education. Findings are relevant to Muay Thai coaches, sports medicine practitioners, federation medical officers, and athlete welfare policymakers.
Downloads
References
Hallaçeli, H., Davut, S., Özbek, A., & Aydın, E. (2025). Epidemiological analysis of athlete injuries in Muay Thai in-ring matches. Injury Epidemiology, 12, Article 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-025-00569-x
Pohvee, Z. (2025). Muay Thai as soft power: Diplomacy a sport towards Olympic recognition. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 8(12), 9306–9315. https://ijsshr.in/v8i12/Doc/16.pdf
Doherty, C. S., Barley, O. R., & Fortington, L. V. (2025). Incidence of health problems in Australian mixed martial arts and Muay Thai competitors: A 14-month study of 26 combat sports events. Sports Medicine - Open, 11, Article 60. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-025-00880-3
Doherty, C. S., Fortington, L. V., & Barley, O. R. (2024). Rapid weight changes and competitive outcomes in Muay Thai and mixed martial arts: A 14-month study of 24 combat sports events. Sports, 12(10), Article 280. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12100280
Doherty, C. S., Barley, O. R., & Fortington, L. V. (2025). Is there a relationship between rapid weight changes and self-reported injury in combat sports athletes? A 14-month study of 24 combat sports events. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 28(6), 465–474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2025.01.007
De Andrade Junior, A. B., De Andrade, E. M. P. R., Vigário, P. D. S., Luchesa, C. A., De Azevedo Vieira, J. E., De Jesus, I. R. T., & Lopes, A. J. (2025). Relationships between performance in the frequency speed kick test, heart rate variability, and body composition in amateur Muay Thai fighters. International Journal of Exercise Science, 18(6), 428–442. https://doi.org/10.70252/PPGL4101
Follmer, B., Varga, A. A., & Zehr, E. P. (2020). Understanding concussion knowledge and behavior among mixed martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai athletes and coaches. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 48(4), 417–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.2020.1729668
Štyriak, R., Hadža, R., Arriaza, R., Augustovičová, D., & Zemková, E. (2023). Effectiveness of protective measures and rules in reducing the incidence of injuries in combat sports: A scoping review. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 8(4), Article 150. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk8040150
Zachovajevas, V., Engebretsen, L., Hölmich, P., & Bahr, R. (2025). Injuries in mixed martial arts after adoption of the Unified Rules of MMA: A systematic review. Injury, 56, Article 112497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2025.112497
Groessing, L., Starke, M., Fichtner, F., & Loeffler, M. (2026). How risky is mixed martial arts? Injury rates and patterns in competitive versus recreational athletes. Healthcare, 14(3), Article 409. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14030409
Schlegel, P., Novotny, M., Valis, M., & Klimova, B. (2021). Head injury in mixed martial arts: A review of epidemiology, affected brain structures and risks of cognitive decline. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 49(4), 371–380. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.2021.1885966
Bakirtzis, D., Ioannidis, A., Karanasios, S., & Papadopoulos, P. (2024). A narrative review of combat sports injuries with a particular focus on cervical spine injuries. Cureus, 16(12), Article e74980. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.74980
Patricios, J. S., Schneider, K. J., Dvorak, J., Ahmed, O. H., Blauwet, C., Cantu, R. C., Davis, G. A., Echemendia, R. J., Makdissi, M., McNamee, M., Purcell, L. K., Putukian, M., Sills, A. K., Tator, C. H., Turner, M., & Meeuwisse, W. (2023). Consensus statement on concussion in sport: The 6th International Conference on Concussion in Sport—Amsterdam, October 2022. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(11), 695–711. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-106898
Bahr, R., Clarsen, B., Derman, W., Dvorak, J., Emery, C. A., Finch, C. F., Hägglund, M., Junge, A., Kemp, S., Khan, K. M., Marshall, S. W., Meeuwisse, W., Mountjoy, M., Orchard, J. W., Pluim, B., Quarrie, K. L., Reider, B., Schwellnus, M., Soligard, T., Stokes, K. A., Timpka, T., Verhagen, E., Bindra, A., Budgett, R., Engebretsen, L., Erdener, U., & Chamari, K. (2020). International Olympic Committee consensus statement: Methods for recording and reporting of epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport 2020. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(7), 372–389. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101969
Okobi, O. E., Evbayekha, E. O., Ilechie, E., Okobi, T. J., Olise, M. C., Udoete, I. O., Fasehun, O. O., & Egbelu, E. (2022). A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness of exercise intervention in preventing sports injuries. Cureus, 14(6), Article e26123. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.26123
Stojanović, E., Scanlan, A. T., Radovanović, D., Jakovljević, V., & Faude, O. (2023). A multicomponent neuromuscular warm-up program reduces lower-extremity injuries in trained basketball players: A cluster randomized controlled trial. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 51(5), 463–471. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.2022.2133978
Chan, C.-C., Yung, P. S.-H., & Mok, K.-M. (2024). The relationship between training load and injury risk in basketball: A systematic review. Healthcare, 12(18), Article 1829. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12181829
Barley, O. R., & Harms, C. A. (2025). Rapid weight loss across combat sports and the relationships between methods and magnitude. Translational Sports Medicine, 2025, Article 2946317. https://doi.org/10.1155/tsm2/2946317
Rydzik, Ł., Wąsacz, W., Ambroży, T., Pałka, T., Sobiło-Rydzik, E., & Kopańska, M. (2023). Comparison of head strike incidence under K1 rules of kickboxing with and without helmet protection—A pilot study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6), Article 4713. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064713
International Federation of Muaythai Associations. (2026). IFMA Muaythai rules & regulations including Wai Kru, Mai Muay, full contact and semi contact competitions (Version 3.0). https://muaythai.sport/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IFMA-Rules-and-Regulations-v3.057_110526.pdf
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Suleyman Suleymanov
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
10.55544/ijrah
editor@ijrah.com | 
+91-8874396939
This work is licensed under a 