Jeffrey Vlk, a former football player turned coach, noticed that his players were getting injured from full-contact practices. In an effort to keep his players safe, he implemented a new approach in 2019. Instead of full-contact practices, players only wore shoulder pads once a week on what he called “contact day.” They would hit tackle bags and crash pads, but not throw each other to the ground. This change resulted in no injuries to starting players in four years.
This approach to reducing the number of hits players take has been slowly spreading in the football world. While most efforts have focused on preventing and treating concussions, researchers have long believed that even subconcussive hits could lead to cognitive and neurological problems later in life.
A recent study published in Nature Communications supports this belief. The study, which examined the causes of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), found that a football player’s chances of developing CTE were not only related to the number of head impacts they experienced but also to the cumulative impact of all those hits.
Using data from 34 studies that tracked head hits measured by football helmet sensors over a span of 20 years, the scientists estimated the number and force of head hits absorbed by 631 former football players. The study concluded that the cumulative force of head hits over a player’s career was the best predictor of brain disease later in life, not the number of diagnosed concussions.
Of the 631 brains examined, 451 players (71%) were found to have CTE. The players who had absorbed the greatest cumulative force had the most severe forms of CTE, which is associated with memory loss, impulsive behavior, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
Experts in the field, such as Eric Nauman, a professor at the University of Cincinnati, believe that an accumulation of subconcussive hits, rather than concussions, is the primary driving force behind long-term cognitive decline. He suggests making changes to make football safer, such as eliminating hitting in practices and developing helmets that absorb more impact, particularly to the back of the head.
While the study has its limitations, such as not being able to distinguish the most important hits above a certain threshold, it provides valuable insights into the relationship between head hits and CTE. It also challenges the notion that concussions are solely responsible for CTE.
Further research is needed to explore different thresholds for counting hits and to better understand the varying impact exposure between individuals. Nevertheless, this study contributes to a growing body of evidence that highlights the importance of minimizing head impacts in football to protect players’ long-term brain health.
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