Why Experts Are Rethinking Repeated Impacts In Contact Sports

By Jessica Halloran, Amy Donaldson, Wendy Carlisle and Dylan Welch

Updated 29 Jun 2026 8:47am AEST
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The Conversation Has Changed

For decades, conversations around contact sports focused on the biggest injuries.

Broken bones.

Dislocated shoulders.

Concussions.

But researchers are now asking a different question.

Instead of looking only at major impacts, they're studying what happens after thousands of smaller impacts accumulate over months, years and even entire careers.

What Are Repeated Impacts?

Repeated impacts are exactly what they sound like.

Every punch.

Every tackle.

Every collision.

Every blocked shot.

Most don't cause immediate symptoms.

But together, they contribute to the total amount of force the body experiences over time.

Researchers often refer to this as cumulative exposure.
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Why Researchers Are Paying More Attention

A growing body of research suggests that long-term exposure to repeated impacts may be an important factor in athlete health.

Scientists are increasingly studying:

 

-How many impacts athletes receive.

 

-How often those impacts occur.

 

-How force is transferred through the body.

 

-Whether reducing unnecessary exposure could improve long-term outcomes.

 

This shift has changed the conversation from treating injuries after they occur to exploring ways of reducing unnecessary exposure before problems develop.

Beyond Concussions

One of the biggest changes in sports medicine is that researchers are no longer focusing only on diagnosed concussions.

 

Many impacts never produce symptoms.

Yet researchers are investigating whether repeated sub-concussive impacts may also play a role in long-term brain health.

 

This remains an active area of scientific research, but it has already influenced how many sports organisations approach player safety.
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What This Means For Athletes

For athletes, it doesn't mean avoiding sport.

It means training smarter.

Many athletes now think about:

  • Recovery
  • Technique
  • Protective equipment
  • Training volume
  • Impact exposure over time

The goal isn't to eliminate impact.

It's to reduce unnecessary impact wherever possible.
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Why This Matters To GelPact™

At GelPact™, these questions became the starting point for our own research.

We began asking:

Can protective equipment continue to improve?

Could new materials, new designs and new ways of managing impact help athletes train with greater confidence?

These questions inspired the development of our Layered Impact System and continue to guide every product we create.

The Future Of Protection

Innovation in sport has always followed a similar path.

Better footwear.

Better helmets.

Better recovery.

Better equipment.

As research into repeated impacts continues to evolve, we believe protection should continue evolving alongside it.

The future isn't just about performance.

It's about helping athletes train for longer.

Train smarter.

And continue doing what they love.
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 Credits

Story by: Jessica Halloran, Amy Donaldson, Wendy Carlisle and  Dylan Welch content