20 research outputs found
Injuries in elite male youth football and athletics: Growth and maturation as potential risk factors
No full textAvhandling (doktorgrad) - Norges idrettshøgskole, 2021Background: Elite youth athletes participate in intense and structured training programmes to realise their performance potential, but their development may be interrupted by injuries. To reduce the impact of injuries we first need to know which injuries affect participation the most and what the risk factors are. Growth and maturation represent two potential non-modifiable intrinsic risk factors that are unique to adolescent athletes. The literature published on this topic is, however, considered of low quality and findings in earlier studies are inconsistent. The aim of this thesis was therefore to identify the most common and burdensome injuries in elite male youth athletes participating in football (soccer) and athletics (track and field) and to explore growth and maturation as risk factors.
Methods: All studies were based on data from routine monitoring of athletes at Aspire Academy, a national elite sports academy in Doha, Qatar. Participants were males aged 11 to 18 years participating in the football or athletics programmes. The first study (Paper I) was a methodological study where we investigated the effect on injury incidence when a broad medical-attention definition was used and recorders/supervisors were invested in research projects relying on the data. This study was based on injury data for the U16 through U18 squads from 2012/13 through 2016/17 (211 players). Papers II and III were descriptive epidemiological studies in athletics and football, respectively. Time-loss injuries were collected prospectively over five seasons in athletics (2014/15 through 2018/19, 179 athletes) and four seasons in football (2016/17 through 2019/20, 301 players) by physiotherapists. The most common (injury incidence) and burdensome (injury burden) combinations of injury location and type were identified, and injury patterns were examined for event groups (athletics; non-specialised, endurance, sprints, jumps, throws) and age groups (football; U13 through U18). In Papers IV and V, subsamples of athletes (74 in athletics, 103 in football) from the epidemiological studies with complete growth (anthropometric measures, i.e. height, leg length and body mass) and maturity (skeletal age, using the Fels method) assessments were included. Growth rates, maturity status and maturity tempo were then examined as risk factors for specific injury types.
Main results: The level of investment in the injury surveillance programme by the injury recorder (team physiotherapist) or supervisor had a large impact on the incidence of non-time-loss injuries and injuries with a minimal day loss (1-3 days), while time-loss injuries overall were unaffected (Paper I). In athletics (Paper II), the main concerns were bone and muscle injuries, with thigh muscle strains/ruptures, lumbar spine stress fractures and lower leg bone stress injuries as the most burdensome location-type combinations. Injury patterns were, however, specific to each event group. In football (Paper III), typical “football injuries” (knee sprains, thigh strains and ankle sprains) were the most burdensome, followed by lumbosacral bone stress injuries and physis injuries to the
hip/groin. Older athletes sustained more injuries relative to exposure (hours); muscle injuries were increasingly common and physis injuries less common with age. In Paper IV, younger skeletal age and greater changes in height, leg length and skeletal age over a season were associated with a greater incidence of bone and growth plate injuries in athletics. No associations with injury risk were found for changes in body mass, trunk height or body mass index. In football (Paper V), growth rates over shorter periods were not related to injury risk when accounting for age (chronological age or skeletal age) and load (weekly exposure). Older skeletal age was associated with significantly greater overall, sudden onset, muscle and joint sprain injury risk. The associations could, however, not be considered practically relevant due to the uncertain estimates for the odds ratios.
Conclusion: Based on our findings, time-loss incidence should be used when multiple medical staff recorders are involved in the data collection. Injuries patterns in elite male youth athletes are specific to the sport, event group and age group; tailoring injury reduction programmes may therefore be possible. A large proportion of lost training and competition days were attributed to bone injuries; these should be targeted to a larger degree in risk factor studies and in injury reduction programmes. Skeletal maturity appears to affect the risk of sustaining certain injury types in football and athletics, while growth rates were only related to injury risk in athletics. Practitioners and researchers may need to consider the full growth and maturity process, rather than analysing short isolated periods, to better understand the relationship between growth, maturation and injury risk.Institutt for idrettsmedisinske fag / Department of Sports Medicin
Injuries in elite male youth football and athletics: Growth and maturation as potential risk factors
No full textBackground: Elite youth athletes participate in intense and structured training programmes to realise their performance potential, but their development may be interrupted by injuries. To reduce the impact of injuries we first need to know which injuries affect participation the most and what the risk factors are. Growth and maturation represent two potential non-modifiable intrinsic risk factors that are unique to adolescent athletes. The literature published on this topic is, however, considered of low quality and findings in earlier studies are inconsistent. The aim of this thesis was therefore to identify the most common and burdensome injuries in elite male youth athletes participating in football (soccer) and athletics (track and field) and to explore growth and maturation as risk factors.
Methods: All studies were based on data from routine monitoring of athletes at Aspire Academy, a national elite sports academy in Doha, Qatar. Participants were males aged 11 to 18 years participating in the football or athletics programmes. The first study (Paper I) was a methodological study where we investigated the effect on injury incidence when a broad medical-attention definition was used and recorders/supervisors were invested in research projects relying on the data. This study was based on injury data for the U16 through U18 squads from 2012/13 through 2016/17 (211 players). Papers II and III were descriptive epidemiological studies in athletics and football, respectively. Time-loss injuries were collected prospectively over five seasons in athletics (2014/15 through 2018/19, 179 athletes) and four seasons in football (2016/17 through 2019/20, 301 players) by physiotherapists. The most common (injury incidence) and burdensome (injury burden) combinations of injury location and type were identified, and injury patterns were examined for event groups (athletics; non-specialised, endurance, sprints, jumps, throws) and age groups (football; U13 through U18). In Papers IV and V, subsamples of athletes (74 in athletics, 103 in football) from the epidemiological studies with complete growth (anthropometric measures, i.e. height, leg length and body mass) and maturity (skeletal age, using the Fels method) assessments were included. Growth rates, maturity status and maturity tempo were then examined as risk factors for specific injury types.
Main results: The level of investment in the injury surveillance programme by the injury recorder (team physiotherapist) or supervisor had a large impact on the incidence of non-time-loss injuries and injuries with a minimal day loss (1-3 days), while time-loss injuries overall were unaffected (Paper I). In athletics (Paper II), the main concerns were bone and muscle injuries, with thigh muscle strains/ruptures, lumbar spine stress fractures and lower leg bone stress injuries as the most burdensome location-type combinations. Injury patterns were, however, specific to each event group. In football (Paper III), typical “football injuries” (knee sprains, thigh strains and ankle sprains) were the most burdensome, followed by lumbosacral bone stress injuries and physis injuries to the
hip/groin. Older athletes sustained more injuries relative to exposure (hours); muscle injuries were increasingly common and physis injuries less common with age. In Paper IV, younger skeletal age and greater changes in height, leg length and skeletal age over a season were associated with a greater incidence of bone and growth plate injuries in athletics. No associations with injury risk were found for changes in body mass, trunk height or body mass index. In football (Paper V), growth rates over shorter periods were not related to injury risk when accounting for age (chronological age or skeletal age) and load (weekly exposure). Older skeletal age was associated with significantly greater overall, sudden onset, muscle and joint sprain injury risk. The associations could, however, not be considered practically relevant due to the uncertain estimates for the odds ratios.
Conclusion: Based on our findings, time-loss incidence should be used when multiple medical staff recorders are involved in the data collection. Injuries patterns in elite male youth athletes are specific to the sport, event group and age group; tailoring injury reduction programmes may therefore be possible. A large proportion of lost training and competition days were attributed to bone injuries; these should be targeted to a larger degree in risk factor studies and in injury reduction programmes. Skeletal maturity appears to affect the risk of sustaining certain injury types in football and athletics, while growth rates were only related to injury risk in athletics. Practitioners and researchers may need to consider the full growth and maturity process, rather than analysing short isolated periods, to better understand the relationship between growth, maturation and injury risk
Activity profiles and fatigue in elite female and male team handball: individual and team characteristics
No full textMasteroppgave - Norges idrettshøgskole, 2015Handball matches place diverse physical demands on players, which over the course of games
may result in fatigue and decreased activity levels. However, studies are limited, and activity
profiles are often obtained using video recordings, although this instrument may not be
sensitive for capturing short-lasting handball-specific movements. The purpose of this master
thesis is therefore to examine activity profiles and fatigue development, for teams and
individual players of both genders, using modern microtechnology devices.
A microtechnology device (Catapult OptimEye S5) was worn by elite players in a female
national team (6 matches, n = 55 samples), and a male national recruit team (3 matches, n =
36 samples), during international tournament matches. Activity profiles were examined on a
team- and individual player level, with special regards to possible fatigue development during
games. Analyses were performed for Player Load™, accelerations, decelerations, and changes
of direction (CoD), as well as high- and moderate-intensity efforts combined (HMI) and lowintensity
efforts (LI), all relative to playing time.Seksjon for fysisk prestasjonsevne / Department of Physical Performanc
Activity profiles in international female team handball using PlayerLoadTM
No full textTeam handball matches place diverse physical demands on players, which may result in fatigue and decreased activity levels. However, previous speed-based methods of quantifying player activity may not be sensitive for capturing short-lasting team handball-specific movements. Purpose: To examine activity profiles of a female team handball team and individual player profiles, using inertial measurement units (IMUs). Methods: Match data was obtained from one female national team in nine international matches (n=85 individual player samples), using the Catapult OptimEye S5. PlayerLoad™min-1 was used as a measure of intensity in 5- and 10-minute periods. Team profiles were presented as relative to the player’s match means, and individual profiles were presented as relative to the mean of the 5-minute periods with >60% field time. Results: A high initial intensity was observed for team profiles, and for players with ≥2 consecutive periods of play. Substantial declines in PlayerLoad™ min-1 were observed throughout matches for the team, and for players with several consecutive periods of field time. These trends were found for all positional categories. Intensity increased substantially in the final five minutes of the first half for team profiles. Activity levels were substantially lower in the five minutes after a player’s most intense period, and were partly restored in the subsequent 5-minute period. Discussion: Possible explanations for the observed declines in activity profiles for the team and individual players include fatiguing players, situational factors and pacing. However, underlying mechanisms were not accounted for, and these assumptions are therefore based on previous team-sport studies
Activity profiles in international female team handball using PlayerLoadTM
No full textI Brage finner du siste tekst-versjon av artikkelen, og den kan inneholde ubetydelige forskjeller fra forlagets pdf-versjon. Forlagets pdf-versjon finner du på journals.humankinetics.com / In Brage you'll find the final text version of the article, and it may contain insignificant differences from the journal's pdf version. The definitive version is available at journals.humankinetics.comTeam handball matches place diverse physical demands on players, which may result in fatigue and decreased activity levels. However, previous speed-based methods of quantifying player activity may not be sensitive for capturing short-lasting team handball-specific movements. Purpose: To examine activity profiles of a female team handball team and individual player profiles, using inertial measurement units (IMUs). Methods: Match data was obtained from one female national team in nine international matches (n=85 individual player samples), using the Catapult OptimEye S5. PlayerLoad™min-1 was used as a measure of intensity in 5- and 10-minute periods. Team profiles were presented as relative to the player’s match means, and individual profiles were presented as relative to the mean of the 5-minute periods with >60% field time. Results: A high initial intensity was observed for team profiles, and for players with ≥2 consecutive periods of play. Substantial declines in PlayerLoad™ min-1 were observed throughout matches for the team, and for players with several consecutive periods of field time. These trends were found for all positional categories. Intensity increased substantially in the final five minutes of the first half for team profiles. Activity levels were substantially lower in the five minutes after a player’s most intense period, and were partly restored in the subsequent 5-minute period. Discussion: Possible explanations for the observed declines in activity profiles for the team and individual players include fatiguing players, situational factors and pacing. However, underlying mechanisms were not accounted for, and these assumptions are therefore based on previous team-sport studies.Seksjon for fysisk prestasjonsevne / Department of Physical Performanc
Examination of Physical Characteristics and Positional Differences in Professional Soccer Players in Qatar
No full textPhysical characteristics in professional soccer differ between competition levels and playing positions, and normative data aid practitioners in profiling their players to optimize performance and reduce injury risk. Given the paucity of research in Arabic soccer populations, the purpose of this study was to provide position-specific normative values for professional players competing in the Qatar Stars League. One hundred and ninety-five players completed a musculoskeletal assessment as part of an annual periodic health examination. Tests included measures of range of motion (hip, ankle, and hamstring), bilateral and unilateral jump performance, and quadriceps/hamstring (isokinetic/NordBord), hip adduction/abduction (eccentric), and groin (isometric) strength. Descriptive data were examined, and positional differences were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Goalkeepers were significantly heavier (p < 0.01), had a higher body mass index (p < 0.05) than outfield positions and demonstrated greater absolute strength. Defenders were the strongest relative to body mass, and these differences were significant (p < 0.05) versus goalkeepers and strikers. No meaningful between-group comparisons were apparent for jumping or range of motion tests. Compared to mean values from other professional leagues, soccer players in Qatar appear to be shorter, lighter and display inferior strength and jump capacities. These data can be used to tailor training and rehabilitation programs to the specifics of the league and position in which the athletes compete
Skeletal maturation and growth rates are related to bone and growth plate injuries in adolescent athletics
No full textInjuries are common in elite adolescent athletics, but few studies have addressed risk factors for injury. Growth and maturation are potential risk factors in this population; however, the current body of literature is both inconclusive and considered at high risk of bias. The aim of this study was therefore to examine whether growth rate, maturity status, and maturity tempo are associated with injury risk in an elite sports academy. Anthropometric, skeletal maturity and injury data collected prospectively over four seasons (117 athlete-seasons) were included in the analyses. Growth rate for stature was associated with greater risk of bone (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 1.5 per one standard deviation increase above the mean; 95% CI: 1.1-1.9) and growth plate injuries (IRR: 2.1; 1.5-3.1). Growth rate for leg length was associated with greater overall injury risk (IRR: 1.3; 1.0-1.7) as well as the risk of bone (IRR: 1.4; 1.0-1.9) and growth plate injuries (IRR: 2.1; 1.4-3.0). Athletes with greater skeletal maturity, expressed as skeletal age (IRR: 0.6 per year; 0.5-0.9) and percentage of predicted mature height (IRR: 0.8 per percent increase; 0.7-1.0), were less prone to growth plate injuries. Rate of change in skeletal age was associated with an increased risk of bone injuries (IRR: 1.5; 1.0-2.3). The results of this study suggest that rapid growth in stature and leg length, skeletal maturity status, and maturity tempo represent risk factors for certain injury types in adolescent athletics
Ankle, knee and concussion concerns: Unveiling injury patterns in highly trained South African netball players
No full textThe original publication is available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/Objectives
To describe the rate and type of netball injuries sustained during women's university-level tournament matches in South Africa.
Design
Descriptive epidemiological study.
Setting
Three editions of the women's Varsity Netball tournament (2021–23).
Participants
Student-athletes representing nine university women's teams.
Main outcome measures
Medical attention match injuries prospectively recorded by team medical staff. Injuries were classified according to the 2020 consensus statement, with the addition of “concussion” as a separate pathology type. The main outcomes are reported as incidence (injuries per 1000h; 95% confidence intervals - CIs), burden (days lost per 1000h; 95%CIs), and frequency (% of all injuries).
Results
Sixty-three injuries were recorded from 48 different players (58.8 per 1000h; 45.2–75.3) and the overall injury burden was 401 days per 1000h (364–440). Injury incidence by pathology type was highest for joint sprains (28.9 per 1000h), tendinopathies (7.5 per 1000h), and concussions (4.7 per 1000h). Joint sprains to the ankle accounted for 49% of the overall estimated days lost.
Conclusions
Ankle joint sprains should be the primary target of injury risk reduction programmes in highly trained netball players. Concussions were reported and efforts should be made to increase awareness among players, coaches and medical staff.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1466853X24000804Publisher’s versio
Ankle, knee and concussion concerns : unveiling injury patterns in highly trained South African netball players
No full textOBJECTIVES :
To describe the rate and type of netball injuries sustained during women's university-level tournament matches in South Africa.
DESIGN : Descriptive epidemiological study.
SETTING :
Three editions of the women's Varsity Netball tournament (2021–23).
PARTICIPANTS :
Student-athletes representing nine university women's teams.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES :
Medical attention match injuries prospectively recorded by team medical staff. Injuries were classified according to the 2020 consensus statement, with the addition of “concussion” as a separate pathology type. The main outcomes are reported as incidence (injuries per 1000h; 95% confidence intervals - CIs), burden (days lost per 1000h; 95%CIs), and frequency (% of all injuries).
RESULTS :
Sixty-three injuries were recorded from 48 different players (58.8 per 1000h; 45.2–75.3) and the overall injury burden was 401 days per 1000h (364–440). Injury incidence by pathology type was highest for joint sprains (28.9 per 1000h), tendinopathies (7.5 per 1000h), and concussions (4.7 per 1000h). Joint sprains to the ankle accounted for 49% of the overall estimated days lost.
CONCLUSIONS :
Ankle joint sprains should be the primary target of injury risk reduction programmes in highly trained netball players. Concussions were reported and efforts should be made to increase awareness among players, coaches and medical staff.https://www.elsevier.com/ptsphj2024Sports MedicineSDG-03:Good heatlh and well-bein
Health surveillance for South African Para athletes: an 88-week prospective study in a resource-limited setting
No full textObjectives Longitudinal health monitoring studies including Para athletes are lacking in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to introduce a surveillance programme developed for Swedish Para athletes to high-level South African Para athletes and describe their self-reported health outcomes.Design Using a prospective cohort design, we distributed weekly electronic surveys to Para athletes for 88 weeks. These included questions relating to training (e.g., volume, intensity), health (e.g., pain, injury, illness, symptoms of anxiety or depression) and lifestyle (e.g., diet, sleep).Results Of 28 recruited athletes, 21 responded to ≥1 survey (13 males and 8 females; 42.6% response rate). During an average week, 48% of athletes experienced mild-to-severe pain, 25% reported a new or ongoing injury or illness, 67% slept less than eight hours per night, and 20% reported symptoms of anxiety or depression. The overall injury incidence was 3.1 per 1000 hours.Conclusion Longitudinal health monitoring is challenging in LMICs and each setting’s unique barriers and facilitators must be explored and acknowledged if such programmes are to be sustained. Our data suggest that pain, injuries, illnesses and symptoms of anxiety or depression are common among high-level South African Para athletes and efforts should be made to manage these
