The following is from Medill Reports, a site written and produced by graduate journalism students at Northwestern University’s Medill school.

Professional boxers receive hundreds of neck-snapping, head-jarring blows per match on a regular basis.

Pitting a professional against an amateur would surely result in something straight out of a John Woo movie. However, amateur boxers could teach the professionals a thing or two, especially in regard to safety and traumatic brain injury.

Amateur boxers, according to a study released over the weekend in the British Journal of Medicine, appear not to suffer from any long-term lingering effects of brain trauma because of the safety precautions the International Boxing Association of Amateurs takes on behalf of its athletes.

An average punch to the head by a professional boxer has the equivalent effect as a 13-pound bowling bowl traveling 20 mph, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

Julie Goldsticker, director of media and public relations for USA Boxing, said the main objective of the organization is safety—period. “The safety of our athletes is the main priority of every official and coach in our sports. It’s something we do and want for each athlete.”

Many organizations like USA Boxing, which is the national governing body of amateur, Olympic-style boxing in the country, have safety regulations in place to physically protect its athletes. All boxers must wear protective head gear, specialized boxing gloves, waist belts indicating the punch above-and below-point, mouth pieces and t-shirts.

USA Boxing has undertaken a few different measures to ensure the utmost safety for its athletes, said Dr. Charles Butler, chief medical officer for USA Boxing.

The organization knocked down the time for each round from three minutes to two minutes because studies showed most concussions occurred in the last minute of each round. USA Boxing instituted more stringent mandatory leaves of absence for boxers who suffer concussions.

Keep reading article.

Guess it's a pipe dream to hope that professional boxing will follow suit any time soon.

Labels: head injuries, TBI, traumatic brain injury