Injury prevention

• Intrinsic risk factors - an injury risk or force from inside the body
• extrinsic risk factors - an injury risk or force from outside the body
• modifiable risks - those in our control to change
• non-modifiable risks - those not in our control to change
• intrinsic risk factors:

  • previous injury
  • posture and alignment
  • age
  • nutrition
  • anatomy
  • strength
  • flexiblity
• extrinsic risk factors:

  • technique
  • training
  • equipment
  • surface
• previous injury - never return to training until declared fit. Injuries can cause loss in connective tissue strength, imbalance between muscle groups, decreased joint stability, altered biomechanics, a deficit in neuromuscular function and proprioception.
• posture and alignment issues - different leg lengths, scoliosis or lordosis causes biomechanics changes requiring connective tissue to handle forces in unatural ways. This increases risk of injury. A small misalignment causes joints to weaken and leads to muscular imbalance.
• age - age increases risk as bone tissue loses strength and as connective tissue suffers overuse, wear and tear they become prone to injury
• nutrition - important for injury prevention and recovery; protein for growth and repair of cells and tissues and collagen formation, carbohydrates for energy production to reduce onset of fatigue, fats for protection and cushioning, and vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin D and calcium, for bone and growth repair.
• poor preparation - increase the risk of injury. The correct warm up, nutrition, hydration, sleep, training and fitness levels are essential for the intensity, duration and frequency of activity undertaken
• inadequate fitness level - can lead to injury if the intensity, duration or frequency of training or ability of opponents are too high. Early fatigue can lead to poor technique, wrong decisions and a drop in performance
• inapppropriate flexibility - can lead to poor joint stability. A lack of flexibility in the connective tissues can limit the range of motion and lead to acute sprain and strain injuries. Too much flexibility can also lead to poor joint stability and collision injuries my lead to dislocations.
• poor technique and training

  • overuse injuries are largely caused by performing repetitive actions with poor biomechanics technique
  • excessive stress placed on muscles, tendons and ligaments
  • poor technique when lifting can cause muscle strains while poor tackles in rugby can lead to concussion
  • poor technique will also limit strength, power and speed
• poor technique and training

  • coaches play a critical role in injury prevention by teaching the correct technique, warm up routines and practices
• equipment and clothing

  • wear protective equipment to minimise risk of injury e.g ankle brace to add stability and minimise strains and sprains, cricketer wears knee guards and helmets, boxers wear gum shields
  • specific clothing e.g second skin to be flexible for gymnasts, wick away moisture preventing heat exhaustion in long distance athletes, lightweight to maintain range of motion and contain padding reducing impact of external forces
  • footwear to be shock absorbant and provide ankle support, with grip
• intensity, duration or frequency:

  • if intensity is too great, acute injuries may occur as the forces placed upon connective tissues and joints may be excessive
  • if frequency or duration of training is too great, acute inflammatory injuries may occur such as tendonitis or chronic injuries such as stress fractures
  • if training methods used to no include a variety of activities and rest intervals, repetitive strain and chronic injuries may develop
• warm up:

  • performed to raise body temperature

  -last 20-45 minutes

  -gradually increases in intensity

  3 stages:

  • heart rate raising activity to increase temperature, blood flow, heart rate, breathing frequency and oxygen delivery to muscles
  • stretching and mobility to lubricate and mobilise joints and increase the elasticity in connective tissues
  • sport specific drills to activate neural pathways and rehearse movement patterns
• warm up:

  • rise in temperature increases enzyme activity, diffusion gradients and metabolic activity which improves efficiency of muscle contractions
  • the elasticity decreases injury risk
• static stretching - should be avoided in a warm up because:

  • has no effect on injury prevention
  • may reduce peak force produced in achilles tendon by 8%
  • deteriorates antagonist coordination, hampering explosive movements
  • reduce eccentric strength by 9% decreasing ability to change direction at speed
  • reduces muscles ability to consume oxygen by up to 50%
• cool down (active recovery)

  • performed to maintain heart rate, blood flow, metabolic activity to flush the muscle tissue with oxygenated blood, thus removing waste products.
  • last 20-30 minutes
  • gradually decreases in intensity
• cool down (active recovery)

  has several distinct stages

  • moderate intensity activity around 45-55% of vo2 max to maintain heart rate, venous return mechanism and blow flow to remove waste products from the muscle tissue
  • stretching exercises to reduce muscle tension, increase muscle relaxation and gradually lower the muscle temperature