Participation In Other Sports Research Articles

Identifying Risk Factors for Preexisting or Developing Low Back Pain in Youth, High School, and Collegiate Lacrosse Players Using 3-Dimensional Motion Analysis.

Low back pain (LBP) is a common condition that can affect athletes of all ages. The risk factors for LBP onset and worsening associated with the lacrosse shooting motion are not yet known. To identify training and biomechanical factors associated with preexisting LBP and development of LBP over 6 months in youth, high school, and collegiate lacrosse players. Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. A total of 128 lacrosse players were enrolled in this study between January 2016 and January 2019. Player characteristics, lacrosse experience, and participation in other sports were self-reported. At baseline and 2-, 4-, and 6-month follow-ups, the players self-rated the presence and severity of LBP using a numeric pain rating scale (0-10 points). Participants were grouped according to LBP symptoms: no LBP at any time point (n = 102), preexisting LBP (n = 17), or developed LBP within the 6-month period (n = 9). The lacrosse shooting motion was captured via 3-dimensional motion analysis, and kinematic and kinetic variables were recorded. A Low Back Stress Index was used to estimate lumbar stress as a function of pelvic acceleration at the time of maximum lateral trunk lean during the shot. Univariate analyses of covariance and logistic regression models were used to address study aims. Compared with the no-LBP group, the preexisting LBP group demonstrated 13.9% to 22.9% lower maximum angular velocities at the pelvis, trunk, and shoulders in the transverse plane (P < .05), 19.3% less collective pelvis-shoulder rotation in the transverse plane (P = .015), and 4.5% more knee flexion excursion (P = .063). The developed-LBP group produced 2.3% to 11.1% higher angular velocities in the pelvis, trunk, and shoulder and generated maximum pelvic acceleration values 36% to 42% higher than the remaining groups (P < .05 for both). Mean Low Back Stress Index values were not statistically significant among the groups (no LBP: 12,504 ± 13,076 deg2/s2; preexisting LBP: 8808 ± 10,174 deg2/s2; developed LBP: 19,389 ± 13,590 deg2/s2; P = .157). Preexisting LBP was associated with significantly restricted motion of the pelvis, trunk, and shoulders during a lacrosse shot. Excessive pelvic acceleration may be related to the development of LBP in lacrosse players.

Higher age and present injury at the start of the season are risk factors for in-season injury in amateur male and female football players—a prospective cohort study

PurposeTo describe the injury prevalence, injury pattern, and potential baseline risk factors for injuries in male and female adolescent and adult amateur football players.MethodsThis prospective study followed adolescent and adult amateur football players over one season March–October 2020. The study was completed by 462 players (130 men, age 20.0 ± 5.7, 14–46 years) who answered a baseline survey and a weekly web survey during the season. A total of 1456 weekly surveys were registered from males and 5041 from females. Injuries were recorded with the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Injury Questionnaire (OSTRC-O2). Potential baseline risk factors (age, performance of strength/conditioning training, participation in other sports, perceived importance of sporting success, self-rated training and match load, perceived balance between training/match load and recovery, previous/present injury at start of season, and injury beliefs) and their association with injury were analysed with Poisson regressions within each sex.ResultsMales reported 95 injuries (262 injury weeks, weekly prevalence 18.0% (95% CI 16.1–20.1)) and females 350 injuries (1206 injury weeks, weekly prevalence 23.9% (95% CI 22.8–25.1)). Gradual-onset injuries accounted for 57% of the injuries in males and 66% in females. For males, substantial injuries were most common in the hip/groin (weekly prevalence 3.8%), ankle (2.1%), posterior thigh (2.0%), and knee (2.0%); and for females, in the knee (4.3%), ankle (2.5%), and lower leg/Achilles tendon (2.0%). Significant risk factors for injury were higher age (rate ratio males 1.05 per year increase (95% CI 1.02–1.08), females 1.03 (95% CI 1.01–1.05)), and present injury at baseline (males 1.92 (95% CI 1.27–2.89), females 1.58 (95% CI 1.19–2.09)).ConclusionAt any given week, almost one in five male and one in four female amateur football players reported new or ongoing injuries. Hip/groin injuries were more frequent in males, while female players had a higher prevalence of knee injuries. Older players and those with an existing injury at the start of the season were more prone to new injury during the season. Rehabilitation of pre-season injury and complaints are key to reduce the injury burden in amateur football.Level of evidenceLevel II.Trial registration number NCT04272047, Clinical trials

Epidemiology of High Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) injuries in Brazil

BackgroundHigh intensity functional training (HIFT), usually called CrossFit, is a physical training that has gained much popularity in the past few years. The risk of acute and overuse injuries in HIFT is unclear. This study evaluated the incidence of injuries in HIFT, characterizing severity, location, and associated risk factors.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted between January and May 2021. HIFT practitioners were recruited through social media and answered an online questionnaire on training characteristics and injury history.ResultsA total of 606 subjects (264 male and 342 female) were included. The average age of the participants was 29.78 ± 7.14 years. The mean height was 169.60 ± 8.96 cm, and the mean body mass was 73.69 ± 13.11 kg. Overall, participants were involved in HIFT for an average of 25.36 ± 20.29 months. A total of 58.6% of participants took part in 5 to 6 training sessions per week, 31.7% practiced 5 to 6 h per week. 62.7% of the responders performed other physical activities in parallel, 98.2% performed warm-up before the training, and a formal cooldown was accomplished by 29.4% of participants. 6.8% of athletes followed individual worksheets. 45.9% of participants participated in competition.ConclusionsThe overall rate of injuries was 3.51/1000 h. 59.2% of subjects experienced two or more injuries. The shoulder was involved in 21.3% of cases, lower back in 18.3%, and the knee in 13.4%. No difference was found in injury rate between males and females. Experienced athletes were more prone to injury compared to those who trained under 12 months. Approximately the half of injuries did not cause training interruption. No difference was found in injury rate between males and females. The purpose of the participant did not impact the injury rate, nor did the practice of warm-up and cooldown, the time of weekly training, the league and level of competition. Finally, the participation in other sports in parallel did not demonstrated association with the injury occurrence.Trial registration: The present study was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee by Plataforma Brazil and follows the Resolution 466/2012/CNS/MS/CONEP.

Exploring psychosocial risk factors for dropout in adolescent female soccer

ABSTRACT Objectives We examined the manner in which age, participation in other sports, socioeconomic status, perceived sport competence, achievement goal orientations, and perceived motivational climate may interact to predict the risk of dropout among adolescent female soccer players. Methods Self-reported data from 519 female soccer players between 10 and 19 years of age (M = 13.41, SD = 1.77) were analysed using a person-centred approach to uncover the interactions among risk factors and their relative predictability of dropout. Results Perceived motivational climate was identified as the main predictor, where relatively lower levels of mastery climate were associated with a higher dropout tendency (absolute risk reduction [ARR] = 12.2% ±6.1% [95% CL]). If combined with relatively lower levels of mastery climate, then relatively lower levels of perceived sport competence were related to higher dropout risks (ARR = 16.5% ±9.5%), whereas, in combination with relatively higher levels of mastery climate, then relatively lower levels of ego-orientated achievement goals were associated with higher dropout rates (ARR = 10.8% ±12.6%) Conclusions Our findings afford novel insights into the interactions between, and the relative importance of, various risk factors for dropout in adolescent female soccer. This knowledge may be useful for soccer associations, clubs, and coaches when developing guidelines and strategies that aim to foster young females’ sustained participation in organised soccer.

Youth Sports Specialization and Its Effect on Professional, Elite, and Olympic Athlete Performance, Career Longevity, and Injury Rates: A Systematic Review.

Limited data are available on the long-term consequences of early sports specialization in high-level athletes. To evaluate the existing literature on the effects of sports specialization among professional, Olympic, and other elite athletes. Systematic review; Level of evidence, 3. We performed a systematic review of studies from 1990 to 2021 on youth sports specialization in professional, elite, and/or Olympic athletes following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. An elite athlete was defined as one who performed at the highest level of his or her sport, beyond college level. Data were summarized according to 6 objectives: (1) definitions of specialization, age at specialization, and participation in other sports; (2) motivation for specialization; (3) athlete perspectives on specialization; (4) performance data; (5) specialization and injury risk; and (6) career longevity. From 8756 articles, 29 studies were included, of which 17 (58.6%) were survey-based studies. Of the 8 articles that commented on injury risk, all demonstrated reduction in injury risk in athletes who delayed specialization. Performance benefits were apparent with later specialization in 7 of 9 articles; the remaining 2 showed benefit with earlier specialization in marathon runners and soccer players. There were less definitive results on career longevity, with 5 of 9 articles finding no association between career longevity and sports specialization. Although current data on sports specialization in elite, professional, and Olympic athletes are mostly retrospective and survey-based evidence, most sports demonstrate better performance after youth multisport engagement, and youth sports specialization was linked with increased injury risk in athletes at the highest levels of competition.

Futbolera: A History of Women and Sports in Latin America by Brenda Elsey and Joshua Nadel

Reviewed by: Futbolera: A History of Women and Sports in Latin America by Brenda Elsey and Joshua Nadel Kirk Bowman Futbolera: A History of Women and Sports in Latin America. By Brenda Elsey and Joshua Nadel. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2019, p. 368, $24.99. Futbolera is a sweeping account of women, sports, and power covering much of a hemisphere for over a century. The book's aim is straightforward: the participation, emergence, banning, resurgence, and power dynamics of women and sports in Latin America is misunderstood and largely invisible, and there is much to learn from the varied efforts by a wide range of actors to support or undermine women's participation in soccer and other sports. While women's participation in other sports, particularly basketball, is covered in the book, the authors' primary focus is women and soccer. Elsey, author of the outstanding monograph Citizen and Sportsmen: Fútbol and Politics in Twentieth-Century Chile (University of Texas Press, 2011), and Nadel, author of Futbol: Why Soccer Matters in Latin America (University Press of Florida, 2014), are uniquely qualified for this challenging project. One principal strength of the book is the wide geographical coverage while focusing in depth with chapters on specific countries or paired cases. The trade-off is the exclusion of a number of Latin American countries, including the entire Andean region. The book covers Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Mexico in depth, with significant additional coverage of Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Uruguay. The superb chapters on Brazil demonstrate the payoff for this asymmetrical case strategy. Elsey and Nadel allocate 85 pages to women and fútebol in Brazil, which could stand alone as a monograph on gender, sports, and power. Just as officials used eugenics, religion, and the stated need to protect women as feminine mothers to ban football in England from 1921 to 1971, officials in Brazil used similar arguments to ban the game from 1941 to 1981. The authors compellingly demonstrate that the beautiful game was played enthusiastically long before 1940. Spaces emerged at the school, the circus, the factory, at charity events, and through physical education teachers. The forty-year ban itself is a potent example of Steven Lukes' three faces of power, as the game flourished for times in different regions such as Curitiba and Rio de Janeiro. Local officials and many women resisted and skillfully exploited loopholes and opportunities. The authors convincingly overturn the widespread belief that women in Latin America were not playing organized soccer until recent decades. Even today, superstar Brazilian players such as Marta and Formiga had to battle through stereotypes and resistance to play the game at the highest level, and the family of rising star Catarina Macario left the country of football of Brazil to live in the United States so that Catarina could flourish as a futbolera. [End Page 369] The interconnection of race, class, gender, and the socialization of sports features throughout the book. Sports for middle- and upper-class white women, such as tennis, volleyball, fencing, or field hockey are supported by men and women and appropriate, while football is portrayed as less feminine, practiced by non-whites, and a threat to traditional roles. While the book is mainly about power dynamics and systemic relationships, the authors bring to life a number of fascinating and heroic women. Some are well known, like Marta or Sissi. Many more have been largely invisible and voiceless. Elsey and Nadel portray Rose do Rio, Alicia Vargas, Elisa Alves do Nascimento, and others as protagonists with agency who are often courageous and innovative promoting the sport they love. The chapters on Mexico are a cautionary tale. While Brazil represents a bottom-up process, in Mexico women's sports was largely a top-down affair. Due to several unique factors, women's football boomed in the 1960s and early 1970s, with Mexico hosting the second women's world championships in 1971. The bust of Mexican women's football followed soon thereafter. Women's soccer throughout the region is presented as a constant struggle marked by periods of acceptance and rejection, growth and decline. Women's soccer globally and in Latin America is currently experiencing a boom. Players...

Elderly Runners and Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review.

The impact of running on the onset of osteoarthritis (OA) is controversial. This study compared the incidence of OA in elderly runners versus nonrunners. This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Google scholar, Embase, and Web of Science databases were accessed in January 2022. All the published clinical studies investigating OA onset in runners versus non-runners were considered. Studies reporting data on OA and participants in other sports were excluded. Only studies investigating patients with a mean age older than 55 years were considered. The methodological quality of the articles was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Data from 3001 participants and 6674 joints were retrieved. The mean age was 59.4±2.7 years. The mean body mass index was 24.6±2.5 kg/m2. The 5 included articles (963 runners, 2038 nonrunners) did not report significant differences in runners compared with controls. Middle aged runners did not present greater imaging or clinical signs of OA compared with nonrunner controls. Running at elite or recreational level did not increase the rate of OA progression in individuals older than 50 years.

Shoulder and Elbow Injuries in Elite Taiwanese High School Baseball Pitchers From 2016 to 2017.

Background:Numerous studies have discussed the risk factors for shoulder and elbow injuries in high school baseball players worldwide.Purpose:To determine the risk factors for pitching-related shoulder and elbow injuries in Taiwanese high school pitchers.Study Design:Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:Included in the study were 144 pitchers from 11 top-ranked Taiwanese high school baseball teams between 2016 and 2017 high school baseball season. The participants answered a 55-item questionnaire concerning physical characteristics, pitching activities, injury history, and off-season activities. Univariate analyses were conducted separately for participants with and those without a pitching-related injury in the 12-month study period. The chi-square test or Fisher exact test was applied to categorical variables, and the F test or t test was applied to continuous variables. A stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors related to pitching-related injuries, and those results were calculated as odds ratios (ORs).Results:Having a pitching-related injury was significantly related to the number of pitches per week in the past 12 months (OR, 1.01; P = .006), pain over the shoulder and/or elbow in the past 12 months (OR, 3.56; P = .008), pitching competitive baseball for more than 8 of the past 12 months (OR, 2.53; P = .036), throwing sliders (OR, 2.97; P = .026), and lack of participating in other over-the-shoulder activities (0.03-0.11 fewer odds; P ≤ .010).Conclusion:For elite high school pitchers in Taiwan, pitching-related shoulder and elbow injuries were related to the number of pitches per week, pitching competitive baseball for more than 8 of the past 12 months, pain over the shoulder and/or elbow in the past 12 months, throwing sliders, and a lack of participation in other sports with over-the-shoulder activities.

Degrees of Difficulty: How Women's Gymnastics Rose to Prominence and Fell from Grace

Since the late twentieth century, gymnastics has been “must-see” television during the summer Olympics, alongside swimming and track and field. All three sports garner huge ratings and, not coincidentally, feature American excellence. This is particularly true for gymnastics; Sunisa Lee's performance in the 2020 Tokyo games made her the fifth American woman in a row to win gold in the individual all-around. However, as Georgia Cervin reminds readers in Degrees of Difficulty: How Women's Gymnastics Rose to Prominence and Fell from Grace, the popularity of gymnastics and American dominance are not only of recent origin but came at great cost to both the athletes and the sport.Gymnastics gained prominence during the Cold War, a time when gymnasts’ victories and personalities served as potent weapons in the global fight for symbolic and sporting supremacy. Eastern bloc countries dominated the Olympic podium early on, ultimately changing the sport forever with their innovative routines. Although the popular conception is that Olga Korbut and Nadia Comăneci revolutionized gymnastics with their acrobatic tricks and youthful ages, Cervin argues that Americans deserve credit for the latter development, as they were the first to add gymnasts barely into their teens to their national teams. The move to recruit younger gymnasts—one that other countries soon emulated—contributed to a major power imbalance between older male coaches and their younger, female charges, as well as to an environment of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.While there have been several books and documentaries detailing that abuse in the wake of the Larry Nassar scandal, Degrees of Difficulty is the first to offer an international history of the sport that explains how gymnastics created and sustained an environment in which such abuse could take place. In tapping her own experiences as an international gymnast, marshaling numerous secondary sources, and researching the archives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), Cervin offers a comprehensive account of the origins of women's artistic gymnastics and its evolution from an exhibition sport that debuted at the often overlooked Athens Olympics in 1906 to a marquee event in 2021.Cervin is at her best detailing the negotiations between the IOC and FIG, a collaboration that produced a sport that was traditionally feminine, entertaining, and, ultimately, fair. A new scoring system, which abandoned the “perfect 10” model made famous by Comăneci in 1976, now reflects a routine's degree of difficulty as well as its actual execution, produces greater transparency among judges, and grants gymnasts unprecedented opportunities to set world records. Even as Cervin comments on the collaborative process between the IOC and FIG that produced modern gymnastics as we know it, the resulting product was a sport that was quintessentially feminine. Cervin maintains that women's gymnastics were engineered to esteem elegance and grace—an intentional contrast with men's gymnastics—and thus was acceptable for females. However, as the author points out, it reinforced a very narrow definition of femininity—one that prized diminutive, elegant, and white participants—that blunted the sport's feminist intent.Less convincing is Cervin's claim that women's artistic gymnastics “opened the door for women's participation in other sports” (212). Her assertion of a link between the acceptance of women's gymnastics and their increased athletic participation lacks a clear cause and effect; certainly, the agency and appreciation women gained through gymnastics mattered, but Cervin fails to provide clear evidence that shows, for example, how the sport specifically influenced and encouraged the IOC to include more sports or events for women on its Olympic docket. Moreover, there were other sports in which women competed—golf, tennis, swimming, figure skating—that were also traditionally feminine, predated the emergence of women's gymnastics, and certainly contributed to the acceptability of female participation in sport, albeit without the female governance that gymnastics enjoyed early on.Nevertheless, Degrees of Difficulty is an important read and makes the case for necessary changes to a sport that millions love to watch but whose institutional history few understand. Those include increasing the minimum age of gymnasts, engendering a more collaborative relationship between athletes and coaches, and urging FIG to take a more activist role in banning coaches, administrators, and even nations from international competition for ethics violations. These reforms are necessary, particularly if, according to Georgia Cervin, the sport wants to fully embrace its feminist origins. In so doing it can set an important example for female gymnasts and, indeed, for all athletes, regardless of their sport or gender.

Prevalence and factors associated with bone stress injury in middle school runners.

Bone stress injury (BSI) in youth runners is clinically important during times of skeletal growth and is not well studied. To evaluate the prevalence, anatomical distribution, and factors associated with running-related BSI in boy and girl middle school runners. Retrospective cross-sectional study. Online survey distributed to middle school runners. Survey evaluated BSI history, age, grade, height, weight, eating behaviors, menstrual function, exercise training, and other health characteristics. Prevalence and characteristics associated with history of BSI, stratified by cortical-rich (eg, tibia) and trabecular-rich (pelvis and femoral neck) locations. 2107 runners (n=1250 boys, n=857 girls), age 13.2 ± 0.9 years. One hundred five (4.7%) runners reported a history of 132 BSIs, with higher prevalence in girls than boys (6.7% vs 3.8%, p=.004). The most common location was the tibia (n=51). Most trabecular-rich BSIs (n=16, 94% total) were sustained by girls (pelvis: n=6; femoral neck: n=6; sacrum: n=4). In girls, consuming <3 daily meals (odds ratio [OR]=18.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]=7.3, 47.4), eating disorder (9.8, 95% CI=2.0, 47.0), family history of osteoporosis (OR=6.9, 95% CI=2.6, 18.0), and age (OR=1.6, 95% CI=1.0, 2.6) were associated with BSI. In boys, family history of osteoporosis (OR=3.2, 95% CI=1.2, 8.4), prior non-BSI fracture (OR=3.2, 95% CI=1.6, 6.7), and running mileage (OR=1.1, 95% CI=1.0, 1.1) were associated with BSI. Participating in soccer or basketball ≥2 years was associated with lower odds of BSI for both sexes. Whereas family history of osteoporosis and prior fracture (non-BSI) were most strongly related to BSI in the youth runners, behaviors contributing to an energy deficit, such as eating disorder and consuming <3 meals daily, also emerged as independent factors associated with BSI. Although cross-sectional design limits determining causality, our findings suggest promoting optimal skeletal health through nutrition and participation in other sports including soccer and basketball may address factors associated with BSI in this population.

An Analysis of Sport-Specific Pain Symptoms through Inter-Individual Training Differences in CrossFit.

Background: CrossFit is one of the fastest growing “high-intensity functional training” methods in recent years. Due to the very demanding motion sequences and high loads, it was initially assumed that there was an extremely high risk of injury. However, studies have shown that injury rates are given between 0.74–3.3 per 1000 h of training, which is not higher than in other individual sports such as weightlifting. The purpose of the study was to estimate the type of pain symptoms that are directly related to CrossFit, to estimate the frequency of injuries that occur within a population of recreational CrossFit athletes, and, finally, to identify the factors influencing the frequency of pain during CrossFit training. Methods: A total of 414 active CrossFit athletes completed an online survey inclusive of 29 items focusing on individual physical characteristics and training behavior, as well as simultaneous or previously practiced sports. Results: There was a significantly higher proportion of knee pain in athletes who had previously or simultaneously played another sport (p = 0.014). The duration, intensity, or type of personal training plan developed, along with personal information such as age, gender, or BMI, had no significant influence on the pain data. We could not find any significant variance between the groups that we formed based on the differently stated one-repetition max (RMs). There were differences in athletes who stated that they did specific accessory exercises for small muscle groups. Above all, athletes performing exercises for the hamstrings and the gluteus medius indicated fewer pain symptoms for the sacro-iliac joint (SIJ)/iliac and lower back locations. Conclusions: It is important not to see CrossFit as a single type of sport. When treating a CrossFit athlete, care should be taken to address inter-individual differences. This underlines the significant differences of this study between the individual athletes with regard to the ability to master certain skills or their previous sporting experience. The mere fact of mastering certain exercises seems to lead to significantly more pain in certain regions. In addition, there seems to be a connection between the previous or simultaneous participation in other sports and the indication of pain in the knee region.

Correlates of sport‐related concussion in male junior rugby union: A concurrent analysis of biopsychosocial factors

ObjectiveSport‐related concussion (SRC) is a multi‐faceted issue that should be considered in context, with consideration for the biological, psychological, and sociocultural (i.e., biopsychosocial) factors which influence the incidence of injury in contact sports such as rugby union (rugby). Through the concurrent assessment of individual variables within a multi‐measure cross‐sectional research design, the current study aimed to contextualise the individual factors associated with SRC in male junior (ages 11–17-years) rugby.MethodSelf‐ and parent‐report measures were used to assess athletes' psychological and behavioural functioning. Sociocultural influences were considered in terms of duration of participation, involvement of immediate family, and participation in other sports. Biological measures included athlete age, BMI, aerobic fitness, and in‐utero testosterone exposure (2D:4D).ResultsAthlete age was positively correlated with concussion incidence, with adolescent (14–17‐year‐old) athletes 1.4 times more likely to report a history of SRC than pre‐adolescent (11–13‐year‐old) athletes. Multi‐sport participation and immediate family participation were found to positively predict SRC incidence. No psychological measures were identified as significant correlates to concussive injury, however, this may be due to the homogeneity of the sample scores.ConclusionsThe concurrent assessment of biopsychosocial factors associated with SRC presents the opportunity for a comprehensive analysis of the injury context. The findings from this study suggest that SRC in junior rugby cannot be predicted using individual variables. Future research directions are discussed.

PATELLOFEMORAL CHONDRAL DEFECT IN A PREADOLESCENT SKIER: A CASE REPORT IN EARLY SPORT SPECIALIZATION

Early sport specialization (ESS) refers to intense training year round in a specific sport starting at a young age with no or limited participation in other sports. This approach to training is highly controversial; recent literature suggests that this type of specialized training could be a contributing source to overuse injuries in youth athletes. The purpose of this case report was to describe a patellofemoral articular cartilage defect of the knee in a preadolescent skier due to overuse and repetitive microtrauma as a result of ESS. Case Report. A healthy 11-year-old male competitive alpine skier presented with recurrent swelling of his right knee and persistent anterior knee pain while skiing without evidence of any specific history of injury or traumatic event. The patient failed a conservative treatment regimen including rest and formal physical therapy focused on generalized knee strengthening. Magnetic resonance imaging was ordered and revealed an articular cartilage defect of the medial patellar facet. The patient was treated with an arthroscopic debridement of his articular cartilage defect. At 12 weeks postoperatively, the patient presented with a normalized gait pattern, no evidence of knee effusion, full knee range of motion and patellar mobility symmetric to his contralateral limb, and no patellar crepitation or painful palpation on physical exam. The patient was released to begin return to sport progression at 12 weeks, and was cleared for full activities/returned to competitive skiing at 15 weeks postoperatively. At 16 weeks postoperatively, he won an international alpine ski race in Europe for his age group. Cartilage injuries and osteochondral defects are very common in adolescent athletes and often go undiagnosed. Allied healthcare professionals must be educated on the known causes of recurrent knee effusions and how early sport specialization may result in overuse injuries to knee joint cartilage. 4.

A profile of health, lifestyle and training habits of 4720 Australian recreational runners-The case for promoting running for health benefits.

The aim of this study was to characterise lifestyle and training habits of a large cohort of Australian recreational runners. Understanding the health benefits of recreational running and differentiating between the habits of males and females may allow for the development of gender-specific messaging for promoting recreational running as a form of physical activity. An online questionnaire was used to collect data from 4720 Australian recreational runners. Data on physical, lifestyle and training characteristics of male and female subgroups were compared using chi-square tests. Multiple logistic regression method was used to assess the effect of running experience on the reported clinically significant weight loss. The study cohort was 54.1% female and 45.9% male. Smoking was uncommon among surveyed runners. The most typical weekly running distance in the cohort was 20-40 km, usually distributed by 2-5 running sessions. Significantly more males than females reported running over 40 km per week (29.9% vs 18.9%, P < .001) and running at least six sessions per week (11.5% vs 6.7%, P < .001). The majority (72.9%) of runners had normal BMI, and the cohort reported a lower overweight/obesity rate than the Australian population. The logistic regression model indicated that commencing running may lead to a clinically significant weight loss irrespectively of sex, participation in other sports and injury history. Recreational running was associated with beneficial health outcomes. Commencement of running is associated with weight loss, and regular running supports healthy weight maintenance. Male and female runners had different running preferences which should be taken into account for physical activity promotion. SO WHAT?: Captured health outcomes associated with running and described sex differences in training patterns may assist in development of physical activity promotion programmes involving recreational running, particularly targeting weight loss and healthy weight maintenance.

Knee problems and its associated factors among active cyclists in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION:Bicycling is one of the most enjoyable aerobic exercises recommended for the promotion of an individual's health. The Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia has seen a huge increase in the number of people who cycle. People have different goals for bicycling, but the injuries they sustain are common. Most of them relate to overuse, particularly of lower body joints. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of knee problems and factors associated with knee pain in cyclists.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2015, using an online self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was based on pertinent literature, was piloted, and validated. A web link was sent to 513 cyclists (professional and amateur) using E-mail, WhatsApp application, or SMS. Three hundred and eleven responses were received, 283 of which were included in the analysis.RESULTS:The overall prevalence of knee pain was 25.8%; 27.6% for amateur cyclists and 15.9% for professional cyclists. Only 17.2% knee pain was attributed to cycling, whereas in 32.8% it happened spontaneously and in 25% of cases it occurred while running. Majority of the cyclists reported pain as mild (61.6%) or moderate (28.7%); anterior knee pain accounted for 58.1% knee pain. Different goals of cycling and different bicycle types had statistically significant difference on the rate of knee pain. Of underweight cyclists, 62.2% reported knee pain. Cyclists who run more or participated in football had a higher rate of pain.CONCLUSION:Knee injuries are common with cyclists. Factors such as the type of the bicycle, the goal of bicycling, club type, body mass index, and participation in other sports play a significant role in the rate of knee pain.

The influence of recreational gymnastics at 4 to 6 years of age on physical activity levels at 8 to 10 years of age

Introduction With the known health benefits of physical activity (PA), much attention has been spent investigating the effects of early PA participation in childhood on lifelong participation rates and adult health benefits. What is unknown is whether early childhood involvement in specific sports benefits PA levels in later childhood. We hypothesize that early childhood exposure to recreational gymnastics will positively influence PA levels in late childhood. Methods Participants were drawn from the University of Saskatchewan's Young Recreational Gymnast Study (YRGS). One hundred and sixty three, 4 to 6-year-olds were recruited (91 gymnasts and 72 non-gymnasts). Participants were assessed annually for 4 years. PA was serially assessed using the Netherlands Physical Activity Questionnaire; response range from 7 (low physical activity) to 35 (high physical activity). PA scores were correlated with age. Average PA scores were compared between groups and time points (independent t-test and repeated measures ANOVA) (α = 0.05). Results At study entry there were no significant difference in PA scores between gymnasts (25.0 ± 3.0) and non-gymnasts (24.5 ± 3.4) (P > 0.05). The correlation between age and PA score was week (r = 0.12, P > 0.05). PA increased in both groups between study entry and study end (4 years) (P 0.05). Conclusion Although PA did increase in all individuals over 4 years, participating in recreational gymnastics did not appear to significantly influence an individual's PA level by 8 to 10 years of age. This is probably due to the fact that participation in other sports, in both groups, was influencing PA in late childhood. However, since PA levels do not start to fall in childhood until early adolescent is reached, the effects of early gymnastic participation may be masked by the effects of normal PA development. Therefore further follow-up of this cohort is warranted.

INJURY AND ILLNESS SURVEILLANCE DURING THE 43RD ISAF YOUTH SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 IN LIMASSOL, CYPRUS

BackgroundPrior studies have indicated that the competitive youth sailor is at risk for sailing-related injuries. Data collected during a large-scale elite youth sailing event is the first step toward developing...

Can parallel use of different running shoes decrease running‐related injury risk?

The aim of this study was to determine if runners who use concomitantly different pairs of running shoes are at a lower risk of running-related injury (RRI). Recreational runners (n = 264) participated in this 22-week prospective follow-up and reported all information about their running session characteristics, other sport participation and injuries on a dedicated Internet platform. A RRI was defined as a physical pain or complaint located at the lower limbs or lower back region, sustained during or as a result of running practice and impeding planned running activity for at least 1 day. One-third of the participants (n = 87) experienced at least one RRI during the observation period. The adjusted Cox regression analysis revealed that the parallel use of more than one pair of running shoes was a protective factor [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.614; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.389-0.969], while previous injury was a risk factor (HR = 1.722; 95%CI = 1.114-2.661). Additionally, increased mean session distance (km; HR = 0.795; 95%CI = 0.725-0.872) and increased weekly volume of other sports (h/week; HR = 0.848; 95%CI = 0.732-0.982) were associated with lower RRI risk. Multiple shoe use and participation in other sports are strategies potentially leading to a variation of the load applied to the musculoskeletal system. They could be advised to recreational runners to prevent RRI.

Sports Specialization vs Diversification

Sports Specialization vs Diversification

Playing Through Pain: Sports Participation and Nonmedical Use of Opioid Medications Among Adolescents

We assessed the nonmedical use of prescription opioids (NMUPO) among adolescents who participate in competitive sports. Using data from Monitoring the Future, we found that adolescent participants in high-injury sports had 50% higher odds of NMUPO than adolescents who did not participate in these types of sports (i.e., nonparticipants and participants in other sports). Detecting certain subpopulations of youths at risk for NMUPO should be a central concern among health care providers.