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Combat Sports

Special Interest Group
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Mission: To facilitate the discussion and dissemination of sport science research related to the health, safety, and performance of athletes participating in combat sports. This includes Olympic sports such as wrestling, judo, tae-kwon-do, and boxing, as well as other martial arts competitions.

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Leadership

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Events:

  • An in-person summit is held every year in addition to the ACSM Annual Meeting. The inaugural summit was held in October 2025 in Las Vegas, hosted by the UFC Performance Institute.
  • The Second Summit was hosted by the Liverpool John Moores University School of Sport & Exercise Sciences in Liverpool, UK, on March 18, 2026. SIG Co-Chair Dr. Carl Langan-Evans is leading the local organizing committee.

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SIG of the Month

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GSSI Pre-Conference

The Physiology of Hydration: More Than Water Alone

This session explores the physiology of hydration through an integrated lens—examining how carbohydrate, sodium, flavor, and fluid interact to influence intake, absorption, retention, and performance. We’ll review current research on fluid balance, osmotic drivers, and palatability, highlighting mechanisms that underpin voluntary intake and thermoregulation. Attendees will gain insight into individualized strategies, including sweat profiling and timing approaches, to optimize euhydration and mitigate performance decrements associated with >2% body-mass loss. Practical applications will be linked to laboratory- and field-based research, ensuring translation from bench to field. This pre-conference equips you with evidence-based tools to support athlete hydration across diverse environments and sporting contexts. 

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  • Session 1: Sweating the detail: New insights on hydration considerations for athlete performance
    • Lewis James, PhD, Associate Professor in Human Nutrition in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University
  • Session 2: Functional ingredients in fluid replacement beverages for athletes
    • Lindsay Baker, PhD, Director at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute
  • Session 3: The hydration toolkit: Practical approaches to athlete support
    • Floris Wardenaar, PhD, Associate Professor at the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University