Page 26 - Safe Wrestling

Saša Jovanovi´ c and Matej Plevnik

their classification, participation patterns, technical and physiological
characteristics, and developmental implications, with particular empha-
sis on wrestling within youth sport contexts. The methodological ap-
proach follows established recommendations for narrative and integra-
tive reviews in sport and exercise science, which are especially appropri-
ate when the objective is to synthesise heterogeneous forms of evidence
across disciplines, methodological traditions, and applied contexts.

Literature Sources and Search Scope
The literature underpinning this chapter was identified through interna-
tionally recognised scientific databases commonly used in sport science,
medicine, and movement research, including PubMed/MEDLINE, Sco-
pus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The search covered publications
published between 2010 and 2025, thereby ensuring the inclusion of both
foundational studies and the most recent empirical and conceptual con-
tributions relevant to combat sports and youth athlete development.
In addition to peer-reviewed journal articles, official reports, consen-
sus statements, and technical documents issued by international sport
organisations and governing bodies – such as the International Olympic
Committee, United World Wrestling, and World Taekwondo – were in-
cluded when they provided authoritative information regarding sport
classification, competition structures, participation trends, or athlete de-
velopment pathways. This approach enabled the integration of scientif-
ic evidence with institutional perspectives that shape real-world sport
practice.
Search Strategy and Keywords
The literature search employed a combination of controlled vocabulary
terms and free-text keywords related to combat sports and youth ath-
lete development. Core search terms included combinations of: combat
sports, martial arts, wrestling, grappling, striking sports, youth athletes,
adolescent sport, training characteristics, technical demands, physiolog-
ical profile, sport participation,and athlete development. Boolean oper-
ators (‘AND,’ ‘OR’) and truncation techniques were used to broaden or
refine the searches where appropriate.
The search strategy was iterative, beginning with broad exploratory
searches followed by more focused searches targeting wrestling-specific
literature and youth populations. In addition, the reference lists of key
publications were manually screened to identify further relevant studies
that may not have been captured through the primary search process.

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