Around a million people around the world take part in the combative sports like kickboxing, and are exposed to repetitive head trauma should be screened to make sure their pituitary is working properly. The pituitary gland is a pea-sized gland, weighing no more than a gram, is found at the base of the brain, and lies behind the bridge of the nose. Kickboxing can cause damage to the pituitary gland, which affects the body's metabolism and stress response and controls hormone production. The pituitary gland helps in coping with daily stress, general wellbeing and sex drive amongst other areas. The Turkish study measured the levels of these hormones in 22 amateur kickboxers and compared these to healthy people of the same age and sex and found that 27% that is six of the kickboxers were deficient in at least one hormone compared with the healthy group. It was found that 27% that is six of the kickboxers were deficient in at least one hormone compared with the healthy group.

Professor Fahrettin Kelestimur, who led the research, said: "This is the first time that amateur kickboxing has been shown to cause damage to the pituitary, and study shows that kickboxers experience an increased risk of suffering from hypopituitarism, a condition where the pituitary fails to produce enough hormones.”
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