Contact sports and long-term brain disease

Exercise is good for health. At the same time, athletes are also at risk of injury, and sometimes also chronic injury. Participants in soccer, combat sports and rugby are subjected to head impacts from purposeful heading of the ball and blows to the head or body. These impacts often do not have immediately noticeable consequences, but there is a growing concern that they could lead to neurodegenerative diseases in the long term. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport has asked the Health Council of the Netherlands to advise on the relationship between long-term brain disease and repetitive head impacts in contact sports.

Based on the available research, the Health Council concludes that repetitive head impacts during sports increase the risk of dementia. The council advises limiting exposure to head impacts for athletes participating in contact sports. This can be done, for example, by adapting the rules of the game, such as avoiding headers at high speed, or by using lighter training balls. Limiting repetitive head impacts in children deserves extra attention, because they are more vulnerable to brain injury.

Based on, among other things, the findings of the Health Council, the Netherlands Sports Council will develop concrete recommendations for government, sports organisations and athletes. These will be published at the end of the summer.