Page 27 - Safe Wrestling

Combat Sports in Youth Development

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Studies were included in the synthesis if they met the following criteria:
1. addressed combat sports recognised within organised competitive
systems (Olympic or widely practised non-Olympic disciplines);
2. examined technical, biomechanical, physiological, or developmen-
tal characteristics of combat sports;
3. included youth or adolescent populations, or provided findings
transferable to youth sport contexts;
4. were published in peer-reviewed journals or issued as official re-
ports by recognised sport organisations;
5. were available in English.
The exclusion criteria included:

1. studies focusing exclusively on acute clinical treatment, surgical in-
terventions, or rehabilitation without relevance to sport structure or
training;
2. publications addressing non-sport combat activities (e.g., self-de-
fence without a competitive context);
3. opinion papers lacking empirical or theoretical grounding.

Data Extraction and Synthesis
Relevant information was extracted from each included source using a
structured thematic approach. Extracted data included:
1. classification and defining characteristics of combat sports;
2. technical and tactical characteristics of different disciplines;
3. physiological and biomechanical demands;
4. participation trends and demographic characteristics;
5. developmental implications for youth athletes;
6. wrestling-specific competition formats, techniques, and training
demands.

The synthesis followed a thematic narrative framework, prioritising
consistency and convergence of findings across studies rather than iso-
lated individual results. Where discrepancies emerged, these were inter-
preted in relation to methodological differences, population characteris-
tics, or discipline-specific contexts.
Wrestling-related evidence was analysed as a distinct sub-theme in or-
der to enable a more in-depth examination of its unique characteristics
within the broader combat sports landscape. This approach supports

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