Combat sports are gaining increasing global interest, as reflected in the rapid growth of scientific research across various aspects of these disciplines. There is a wide variety of combat sports, five of which will be included in the next Olympic Games (boxing, judo, fencing, taekwondo, wrestling), while many others, such as karate and mixed martial arts, are widely practiced by people around the world. From a sport science perspective, combat sports present exciting opportunities for research in Physiology and Metabolism, Biomechanics, Psychology and Training/Testing—all core themes of the ECSS Congress.

The aim of this group is to establish a sustainable network that fosters evidence-based research and practice in combat sports. This initiative seeks to promote the health and safety of combat sport participants, enhance their performance and improve training and competition practices.

Date: Thursday, 9 July
Time: 12:45 – 14:00 (during lunch break) 
Session room: 2A

Prof Gregory Bogdanis 
School of Physical Education and Sport Science
National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
Athens, Greece
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Prof Emerson Franchini
School of Physical Education and Sport Science
University of São Paulo
São Paulo, Brazil
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Prof Fabio Yuzo Nakamura 
University of Maia
Maia, Portugal
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Dr Pinelope Stavrinou
Department of Life Sciences
University of Nicosia
Nicosia, Cyprus
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