Injury prevention

BACKGROUND: Minimalist running shoes (MRS) are lightweight, are extremely flexible, and have little to no cushioning. It has been thought that MRS will enhance running performance and decrease injury risk. PURPOSE: To compare physical characteristics, fitness performance, and injury risks associated with soldiers wearing MRS and those wearing traditional running shoes (TRS). STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: Participants were men in a United States Army brigade (N = 1332)...

BACKGROUND: Injury and illness surveillance is the foundation for the development of prevention strategies. OBJECTIVE: To examine injuries among the aquatic disciplines in the 4 weeks prior to and during the 2013 FINA World Championships. METHODS: The study was comprised of two components: (1) a retrospective athlete survey recording injuries in the 4 weeks prior to the Championships and (2) a prospective recording of injuries and illnesses by the medical teams of the participating countries and the local host medical team...

BACKGROUND: The incidence rate of soccer injuries is among the highest in sports, particularly for adult male soccer players. PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of the 'The11' injury prevention programme on injury incidence and injury severity in adult male amateur soccer players. STUDY DESIGN: Cluster-randomised controlled trial. METHODS: Teams from two high-level amateur soccer competitions were randomly assigned to an intervention (n=11 teams, 223 players) or control group (n=12 teams, 233 players)...

This is a descriptive epidemiologic survey on all traumatic and overuse injuries which occurred in 2 groups of male elite road cyclists based on retrospective clinical interviews and physical examinations. The historical group consisted of 65 professional road cyclists surveyed from 1983 to 1995. The contemporary group included 65 elite racers still active and reporting injuries from 2003 to 2009. Injury/cyclist ratio was 1.32 in the historical group and 2.13 in those still active. Traumatic injuries increased from 39...

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Many locomotor activities require muscles to actively lengthen, dissipate energy and decelerate the body. These eccentric contractions can disrupt cytoskeletal structures within myofibrils and reduce force output. We examined how architectural features of pennate muscles can provide a protective mechanism against eccentric muscle damage by limiting fascicle lengthening. It has been previously shown that the angled fibers of pennate muscles change orientation when shortening. This change in fiber orientation can amplify fascicle shortening, resulting in a velocity advantage at the level of the muscle-tendon unit (MTU) that is characterized by a gear ratio (MTU velocity/fascicle velocity)...