Category: Knee ligaments

Published in the magazine Frontiers in public healthThe study is the first large-scale study to examine the benefits of attending any type of live sporting event.

The research, conducted by academics from Anglia Ruskin University’s School of Psychology and Sport Science, used data from 7,209 adults aged 16 to 85, living in England, who took part in the Taking Part Survey, which was carried out commissioned by the UK government’s Department for Digital. , Culture, Media and Sports.

It found that attending live sporting events results in higher scores on two key measures of subjective well-being – life satisfaction and a sense of ‘life worth living’ – and lower levels of loneliness.

These results are significant because previous studies have shown that higher life satisfaction scores are associated with fewer life-limiting conditions and better physical health, successful aging and lower mortality rates.

The new research also shows that attending live sporting events leads to an increase in people’s sense that ‘life is worth living’, and that the magnitude of this increase is comparable to that of finding work.

Many initiatives are currently promoting the benefits of physical participation in sport, but the researchers believe that watching live sporting events could also provide an accessible and effective public health tool to improve wellbeing and reduce loneliness.

Lead author Dr. Helen Keyes, head of the School of Psychology and Sport Science at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: “Previous research has focused on specific sports or small populations, such as students in the United States. first research into the benefits of attending a sporting event for an adult population, and therefore our findings could be useful for shaping future public health strategies, such as offering lower ticket prices for certain groups.

“The live events covered by the research ranged from free amateur events, such as watching village sports teams, through to Premier League football matches. Therefore, further research should be carried out to see whether these benefits are more apparent for elite sport. , or are more closely linked to the support of a specific team.

“However, we do know that watching live sport of all kinds provides many opportunities for social interaction and this helps forge group identity and belonging, which in turn alleviates loneliness and increases levels of well-being.”

Provision of concussion information by coaches and attendance of athletic trainers: Findings from the 2021 YouthStyles Survey

Daugherty J, Waltzman D, Sarmiento KJ Athl Trein. January 16, 2023. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-0454.22. E-publishing prior to printing. PMID: 36645830.

Full text freely available

Take home message

More than 40% of adolescents participating in sports reported that their coach had not provided them with concussion information in the past year. This lack of communication may be linked to a lack of access to athletic trainers during games and practices.

Background

Coaches can provide concussion education and make a positive impact by translating concussion knowledge into healthy behaviors, such as reporting suspected concussions. Coaches who complete concussion training and relay that information to their athletes positively impact an athlete’s perspective on concussions. However, it is unknown how often coaches discuss concussion education with the athletes and whether the presence of an athletic trainer helps with better communication between coach and athlete.

Study aim

The authors used survey data to examine how often coaches provided concussion safety information to their athletes and whether this varied based on the presence of athletic trainers at games and practices.

Methods

In June 2021, adolescents living with Ipsos Knowledge Panel member parents were invited to complete the annual YouthStyle Web-based survey. Approximately 48% of invited adolescents completed survey questions about history of concussions, information about concussion safety, how concerned they think their coach is about concussion safety, and the frequency of athletic trainers at games and practices in the past year . The authors took statistical steps to ensure that the data represented adolescents across the United States.

Results

Of the 829 adolescents, 39% reported having participated in sports in the past twelve months: 1) only in school sports (19%), 2) only in sports competitions (13%), or both (7%). The most commonly reported sports were basketball and football. Nearly half (47%) of youth athletes reported that their coach discussed concussions. Additionally, 32% reported receiving a handout, and 23% said their coach had sent them an email or had them watch a video in the past 12 months. Overall, 58% of adolescent athletes reported that their coach discussed or provided information about concussions. More youth athletes who participated in school sports (65%) reported receiving this information, compared to athletes who only participated in non-school sports competitions (39%). About half of youth athletes indicate that they have an athletic trainer during training (55%) or competitions (55%). Youth athletes who participated in school sports were more likely to report having access to athletic trainers (72%) than those who participated on non-school sports teams (49%). Of youth athletes who always/sometimes had an athletic trainer, 63% reported that the coach talked to them about concussions, compared to 24% of youth athletes who rarely or never had access to athletic trainers.

Viewpoints

Four in 10 athletes report that their coaches do not discuss concussions or provide concussion information. The authors found that access to an athletic trainer can improve communication between coaches and youth athletes. It would be interesting to know if the athletic trainer increases the amount of communication as they provide resources for the coaches to share with athletes. It would be helpful to understand how athletic trainers can improve a coach’s concussion communication with athletes. Furthermore, this study focused on whether the coach provided information, and not on the quality of that information. It would be interesting to know how well the education worked. Coaches without access to athletic trainers may provide concussion information to the athletes, but the athlete does not remember it because it was not helpful.

Clinical implications

We must encourage coaches to consistently educate athletes about concussions to improve reporting behavior among youth athletes. In addition, sports trainers have a positive influence on communication between coach and youth. So when we encourage administrators to hire full-time athletic trainers, we can remind them that athletic trainers can help coaches better communicate about concussions and other injuries with their athletes.

Questions for discussion

Are you trying to get coaches to talk to the athletes about concussions? If so, have you seen better results in communication, knowledge and reporting behavior?

related posts

1. Improving Concussion Education: Consensus from the NCAA Department of Defense Mind Matters Research and Education Grand Challenge
2. CDC Heads Up program increases concussion knowledge and injury communication
3. Peer-led concussion education can improve concussion knowledge and reporting behavior
4. Concussion education videos. Viewing once does not help with Info Stick
5. Coaches are provided with information about concussions with a five-minute fact sheet
6. Concussion knowledge is getting better, but concussion reporting is getting worse
7. Better attitudes can improve reporting habits
8. Center for Concussion Education and Research – Peer Concussion Education

Written by Jane McDevitt
Reviewed by Jeffrey Driban

Foot muscles are generally categorized as intrinsic or extrinsic muscles. While intrinsic muscles originate and insert into the foot, extrinsic muscles originate in the lower leg and insert into the foot through the ankle. Both muscle groups help stabilize the medial (inner) longitudinal arch of the foot. Although some studies have linked muscle swelling caused by long-distance running to lowering of the longitudinal arch, associating this with intrinsic and extrinsic muscle damage has thus far been challenging.

Now, a new study examines the damaging effects of running a full marathon on the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles, and its association with changes in the longitudinal arch of the foot. The research team was led by Professor Mako Fukano from Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) and also included Kento Nakagawa from Waseda University, Ayako Higashihara and Takayuki Inami from Keio University, and Takaya Narita from Toin University of Yokohama. Their findings were published online on April 27, 2023 in Scandinavian journal for medicine and science in sports.

The study recruited 22 college runners from athletic clubs who ran at least 2-3 times a week and had registered for a full marathon race at the Mount Fuji International Marathon in either 2019 or 2021. The researchers first assessed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based transverse relaxation time (T₂), as an indicator of muscle damage, for the participants’ intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles at four intervals: before the marathon, and 1, 3 and 8 days after running the full marathon. T₂ is defined as the time required for the transverse magnetization vector in an MRI to decay to approximately 37% of its initial value, and is influenced by tissue-specific characteristics.

The intrinsic muscles studied included the abductor hallucis (ABH), flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) and quadratus plantae (QP) and the extrinsic muscles included the flexor digitorum longus (FDL), tibialis posterior (TP) and flexor hallucis longus (FHL). ). ). The researchers also determined longitudinal arch height via three-dimensional analysis of foot posture for 10 of these participants at the same time intervals as the T₂ MRI to determine changes in the height of the longitudinal arch of the foot.

When comparing with the values ​​of T₂ before the marathon, the researchers noted that the T₂ the values ​​of QP, FDL, TP and FHL increased significantly one day after the marathon and varied during the observation period. Furthermore, they also found that the increase in T₂ of TP persisted three days after the marathon. However, they did not observe a major difference in T₂ for ABH and FDB. The team found no significant changes in toe flexor strength in any of the participants. Interestingly, they also noted that the arc height ratio statistically decreased from before the marathon to 1 and 3 days after the race, and this change could be correlated with T₂ changes in FDL and FHL.

“These results indicate that the damage and recovery response after a full marathon differs between different foot muscles. For our research participants, all three extrinsic muscles and only one intrinsic muscle showed damage after marathon running, suggesting that extrinsic muscles could be more susceptible to marathon-induced damage than the intrinsic damage,” explains Prof. Fukano. This striking damage to the extrinsic foot muscles reflects the high pressure exerted by the ankle joint during long-distance running, compared to the rest of the foot – something other studies have also shown. Because QP is attached to FDL and/or FHL, it may also have a secondary function in running in addition to the extrinsic foot muscles, making it the only intrinsic foot muscle damaged by marathon running. Furthermore, the correlation between FDL and FHL and longitudinal arch height indicates that marathon-induced damage to these extrinsic muscles could be a factor in reducing arch height.

“As more people now run for fitness, our findings can provide runners and sports professionals with insights into planning better recovery strategies that target muscle fatigue and damage to prevent running-related injuries and also improve runners’ fitness,” concludes Prof. Fukano.

Higher concussion rates following COVID-19 infection in high school athletes.

Bullock GS, Emery CA, Nelson VR, etc. al, Br J Sports Med2023; [epub ahead of print]. two: 10.1136/brjsports-2022-106436.

Full text freely available

Take home message

Athletes who tested positive for a COVID-19 infection were more likely to suffer a concussion within 60 days of recovering from the infection than athletes who did not contract COVID-19.

Background

COVID-19 affects the respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous systems. In some cases, COVID-19 can lead to long-term consequences (e.g. impaired cognition). It is currently unknown whether COVID-19 infection affects the risk of sports-related concussions.

Study aim

Bullock and colleagues completed a prospective cohort study to compare concussion rates between high school athletes who recently tested positive for COVID-19 and those who did not.

Methods

The authors recruited athletes from high schools in six states. A certified athletic trainer recorded all cases of COVID-19 infection or concussion. If an athlete reported COVID-like symptoms or had an elevated temperature during a daily screening, the athletic trainer administered a COVID test. The research team also recorded when an athlete participated in a training or competition. The authors focused on the number of concussions within 60 days after an athlete returned to play following a COVID-19 infection. All data was recorded in the Players Health Rehab system, including demographic information, sports and illness data for all athletes.

Results

A total of 72,522 athletes participated in high school sports at the affected school during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these athletes, 430 had COVID-19 infections. Of the athletes with a COVID-19 infection, 32 had a concussion, and 1,241 athletes without COVID-19 had a concussion. An athlete with a history of COVID-19 was approximately 3 times more likely to suffer a concussion within 60 days of returning to play than an athlete without COVID-19.

Viewpoints

Overall, the authors found that prior COVID-19 infection increased the risk of concussion during the first 60 days after recovery from COVID-19. Therefore, the effects of a COVID-19 infection may linger after returning to play. Knowing whether this applies to other sports-related injuries would be interesting. Additionally, learning why these athletes are at greater risk for concussion (e.g., deconditioning, persistent symptoms) can help us develop prevention strategies and make informed decisions about when and how to release an athlete to play following a COVID-19 infection.

Clinical implications

Doctors should explain to patients with COVID-19 that they may experience lingering effects that predispose them to concussion. We need to help the patient make an informed decision about when to return to play after COVID-19 infection. Once an athlete returns, doctors should monitor these patients for concussions.

Questions for discussion

What other measures have you implemented in your clinical practice to monitor athletes after COVID-19 infection? Is a COVID-19 infection something you are currently documenting?

Written by Kyle Harris
Reviewed by Jeffrey Driban

related posts

COVID recovery may require injury prevention training!
Use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging for return to athletic activities after COVID-19 infection: an expert consensus document on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention (CVRI) Leadership and endorsed by the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR)
Adapted physical activity in subjects and athletes recovering from Covid-19: a position statement of the Società Italiana Scienze Motorie e Sportive
Cardiopulmonary Considerations for High School Athletes During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Update to the NFHS-AMSSM Guidelines

The findings, which represent the most comprehensive real-time study of soccer headers in adolescent athletes, were published in Journal of Biomechanical Engineering.

For some professional athletes, repetitive head strain during exercise – using your head as part of the game – is associated with negative long-term brain health, even in the absence of initial clinical symptoms. Despite awareness of the long-term consequences, short-term neurophysiological problems following repetitive head impacts, such as heading in football, are poorly understood in youth athletes. Some studies have identified potential problems throughout an entire sports season. This study examined the effects of repeated head impacts shortly after track exposure using a battery of six different tests to investigate a broader range of potential clinical implications.

In 2015, the U.S. Soccer Federation introduced limits on teenagers’ heading during practices: no more than 30 minutes of heading practice time and no more than 15 to 20 headers per week. The English Premier League has also adopted guidelines limiting the number of high-force headers to 10 in one training session per week. This laboratory study simulated these limits by performing 10 repeated football headers within one session with experienced teenage players. Based on their findings, researchers determined that this practice did not result in acute neurophysiological problems, as assessed by a comprehensive study. The study did not assess the safety of regular football heads over the course of a season or college career.

“Football is a sport where deliberately using your head to hit the ball is an integral part of the game, and parents, caregivers and coaches are understandably concerned about its long-term consequences,” said first study author Colin Huber , PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at Emory University who conducted this research at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) at CHOP. “We wanted to simulate these effects in a controlled laboratory environment and build on the work of previous studies to quantitatively assess the neurophysiological effects of repetitive football playing.”

In this study, 19 participants (17 men, 2 women) between 13 and 18 years old were assigned to a frontal head group (directing the ball back to where it came from), an oblique head group (pointing the ball to the right). ) or a kicking control group. These participants completed neurophysiological assessments immediately before, immediately after, and approximately 24 hours after completing 10 head or kick movements. These assessments include multiple eye movement tracking, pupil response, and balance testing.

The study ultimately found no neurophysiological problems in either group compared to the kicking control group, even when the six different assessments were taken into account. However, angled headers resulted in higher levels of angular head movements. Angular movements have been linked to concussions and other brain injuries, suggesting that players need to be properly trained to head the ball head-on to reduce the risk of injury.

“This study represents the most comprehensive investigation to date on the acute neurophysiological effects of football heading on youth and provides us with meaningful information about the safety of on-field heading,” said senior study author Kristy Arbogast, PhD, co-scientific director at CIRP and research director of the Minds Matter Concussion Program at CHOP. “We need to be clear that there may still be long-term consequences for repeated football playing over the course of an athletics career, but it appears that a small number of headers in a given session does not pose an immediate risk to well-trained young people. athletes.”

This study was supported by the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health grant R01NS097549 and internal funds from CHOP.

The current study aimed to (1) quantify the physical and technical profile of substitutes, substitutes and players who completed the entire match, taking into account situational variables; (2) analyze the physical and technical performance difference between substitutes and players who substituted or completed the entire match at each playing position. Previous studies have mainly examined the physical performance of substitutes in football [5, 18,19,20,21]but only a few have examined the technical performance of replacements [5, 19]. In the current study, more comprehensive and detailed technical indicators were analyzed to investigate the impact of substitutes on technical performance. The results of the current study showed that substitutes performed better in terms of physical performance (Table 3), especially at high-intensity running and sprint distances, than players who were substituted or completed the entire match. The findings have shown the similarity with previous studies as the better physical performance of substitute players [5, 19]. Substitutions are generally used to reduce the impact of fatigue and maintain a high level of running performance for the entire team [34]. High-intensity running distances seem to be a particularly essential and useful indicator of physical performance in football [35], and the findings of the current study showed the significant difference in high-intensity running distance between substitutes and players who are substituted or complete the entire match. However, replacement players perform worse on the total distance than replaced players. Accordingly, playing time on the field is the most important factor that influences match intensity [36]. Replaced players mainly play on the field in the first half and would be replaced in the second half [5]. During the playing time of substituted players, the match intensity may therefore be higher than that of substitutes playing on the field, resulting in substitutes showing a lower total distance. Depending on playing positions, substitutes from all positions exhibit higher high-intensity distance and sprint distance than substitute players or players who complete the entire match. The finding is similar to the results regardless of positions. However, substitutes in the wide midfield show lower total distance than replaced players and players have completed the entire match. Coaches would introduce more defensive players to strengthen the defense if the team wins [4]. Modric, verse [37] It was found that wide midfielders’ total running distance decreased and sprint distance increased in the defensive phases, which is in line with the findings of this study.

By focusing on technical performance, technical indicators in a broader range were analyzed and performance related to scoring, passing and defending was quantified (Table 1). Despite the importance of technical performance, little literature focuses on the technical activities of substitute players [1, 5, 19]. Bradley, Peñas [5] first analyzed the technical activities of substitutes, but found no significant difference in passing activities between substituted players and players who completed the entire match. The results of the current study show that substitutes mainly perform better in shooting activities and defensive activities, while they exhibit poorer passing activities, including passing, passing accuracy and long passes, than players who substituted or completed the entire match (Fig. 1). Existing literature mentions passing activities such as short passes; successful passes decrease from the first to second half of football matches, which can be affected by fatigue [38]. According to the theory, it is a good strategy for the coach to make substitutions on the field to counteract the decline in the team’s technical performance. Additionally, match status also impacts player performance as replacement players may attempt riskier passes and crosses due to the match status when they were introduced onto the pitch. [39]. Furthermore, research into substitution introduction patterns shows that coaches would introduce more players into attacking positions in the second half of the match [5]. Thus, substitutes would engage in riskier and more attacking activities when coaches aim to change the score line, causing the substitutes to employ lower passing accuracy but perform more attacking activities, including shots, shots on goal, key passes and breakthroughs.

One of the most compelling findings in time-motion analysis research is the significant differences between all playing positions in physical performance [6,7,8, 40,41,42] and technical performance [5, 24, 43, 44] of top footballers. Therefore, it is crucial to discuss the performance differences between players who are substituted, replaced and completed the entire match for each playing position. According to this research, substitute centre-backs have shown lower passing and organizational activities, while performing more defensive actions. To win the game, coaches usually send the defenders onto the field when their team is ahead [16, 17]. Thus, the tactical objective of substitute central defenders and full-backs is to defend the opponent’s attackers and protect the attacking third zone. Under the tactical objective, substitute defenders (center defenders and full-backs) would perform lower passing actions and higher defensive actions compared to players who substituted or completed the entire match. Furthermore, to strengthen the defensive level, attacking players may also have been introduced on the pitch in a defensive role, to hold the scoreline or waste time during the final stages of the match. [1]. These may be the reasons why attacking substitutes, such as forwards and wide midfielders, have shown more tackles, clearances and pass blocks than players who have been substituted or played out for the entire match.

On the other hand, the current research has shown that substitute strikers and wide midfielders demonstrate better passing and organization actions, such as passing, ball controls, crosses, short passes and long passes, than players who were substituted or completed the entire match. Players with attacking playing positions are usually introduced onto the field when their team is losing [1, 16, 17]. In general, replaced players are more likely to be considered underperforming if the team loses [17]and coaches introduce attacking substitutes to create more scoring opportunities and improve the performance of the entire team [5, 39]. The higher passing and organizational performance of attacking substitutes than those who have been substituted or completed the match are considered crucial factors for the success of the match. [5, 24, 39, 45]. Furthermore, substitute central midfielders in this study showed more scoring actions. Research into elite French football has shown that the increased number of goals scored by substitutes was a factor in distinguishing successful teams [46]. Therefore, substitute central midfielders can be introduced onto the pitch as another attacker to score a goal when their team is losing. These may be reasons why replacement central midfielders have a lower passing performance than replaced players and complete the entire match. Furthermore, a very interesting result from the current research is that substitute full-backs perform more shots, which is more likely the attacking playing style. Although coaches introduce some players with defensive positions, such as fullbacks, the introduced players may play in the attacking playing position in an attempt to create scoring opportunities. [19].

Overall, substitutes can indeed improve the physical and technical performance of the team. The current study has confirmed previous findings as substitutes are introduced to change the scoring line or reduce the influence of fatigue [1, 4, 5, 16, 17, 19, 39, 47]. By taking into account the situational variables, the current study analyzed a wider range of technical variables and quantified the technical performance of substitutes in different playing positions. Furthermore, the match location influences most technical performance indicators, which show higher scoring and passing performance, while defensive performance is lower. The findings verified home field advantage and confirmed previous research [26, 31].

However, some limitations need to be further studied in subsequent research. Sports psychology literature shows that substitutes may perform worse when introduced into the match as starters due to the psychological strain [48]. It is important to investigate the performance difference of substitutes between the substitution situations and the starter situation. Furthermore, the timing of substitutes introduced onto the field also influences performance, as the match status determines the tactical purpose of substitutions. [5, 16, 17]. In the current study, the match data was analyzed for only one year and the substitution option was changed in 2020. To better investigate the influence of substitutes on match performance, it is important for future research to analyze match data over a larger number of seasons.

The article, which was published in Exercise and Sports Science Reviewsinvestigates how a group of plant compounds that accumulate in the retina, known as macular pigments, work to improve eye health and functional vision.

Previous studies conducted by UGA researchers Billy R. Hammond and Lisa Renzi-Hammond have shown that eating foods such as dark leafy greens or yellow and orange vegetables, which contain high levels of the plant compounds lutein and zeaxanthin, improve eye and brain health. improves.

“Much research on macular lutein and zeaxanthin has focused on health benefits, but from a functional perspective, higher concentrations of these plant pigments improve many aspects of visual and cognitive ability. In this article we discuss their ability to improve vision in far distance or visual range,” said lead author Jack Harth, a doctoral candidate at UGA’s College of Public Health.

Visual range, or how well someone can see a target clearly over a distance, is critical for elite athletes in virtually every sport.

The reason why objects become harder to see and appear fainter the further away they are from our eyes is partly due to the effects of blue light.

“From a midfielder’s perspective, as the ball goes into the air, it will be seen against a backdrop of a clear blue sky, or against a gray background if it is a cloudy day. Either way, the goal is obscured by atmospheric interference.” in that path of light,” Harth said.

Many athletes already take steps to reduce the impact of blue light by wearing black or blue blocker sunglasses, but eating more foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin can enhance the eye’s natural ability to deal with blue light exposure. to improve, said Harth.

When a person absorbs lutein and zeaxanthin, the compounds collect as yellow pigments in the retina and act as a filter to block blue light from entering the eye.

Previous research into pilot vision was conducted in the 1980s, and Hammond and Renzi-Hammond have more recently investigated how macular pigment density, or the amount of yellow pigment built up in the retina, is related with a number of factors. of eye health measures and functional vision tests.

“In a long series of studies, we have shown that increasing amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin in the retina and brain reduce glare and discomfort and improve chromatic contrast and visual-motor reaction time, and replenishing these compounds facilitates executive functions like solving problems.” and memory. All of these tasks are particularly important for athletes,” said corresponding author Billy R. Hammond, professor of psychology in the Behavior and Brain Sciences Program at UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

This article, Harth said, brings the research into these links between macular pigment and functional vision up to date and questions what the evidence suggests about optimizing athletic performance.

“We are at a point where we can say that we have seen visual range differences in pilots that match the differences found in the modeling, and now we have also seen it in laboratory testing, and a future goal would be to to actually take people outside and to measure their ability to see contrast over distance through true blue haze and in outdoor environments,” Harth said.

But before you start eating kale in hopes of improving your game, he warns that everyone is different. That could mean that the way our bodies absorb and use lutein and zeaxanthin varies, and it may take a while before you notice any improvement, if at all.

Still, the evidence of the overall health benefits of consuming more lutein and zeaxanthin is reason enough to add more color to your diet, the authors say.

“We have data from modeling and empirical studies showing that higher macular pigment in your retina will improve your ability to see over distance. The application for athletes is clear,” Harth said.

Prevalence and normalization of stress urinary incontinence in female strength athletes.

Mahoney K, Heidel RE, and Olewinski LJ Good luck Cond2023 [epub ahead of print].

Full text freely available

Take home message

Seven in ten female strength training athletes report stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in some aspect of their lives. However, fewer than 2 in 10 athletes talk to their doctor or seek treatment for SUI.

Background

Very intensive physical activity can increase the risk of SUI, an involuntary loss of urine due to increased intra-abdominal pressure. Up to 2 in 5 women may experience SUI throughout their lives, which can negatively impact an individual’s quality of life. Pelvic floor training can treat SUI. Although female strength training athletes may be at greater risk for SUI, it remains unclear how many of these athletes experience SUI and seek treatment, as well as how they would prefer to learn about SUI.

Study aim

The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study to assess female strength training athletes’ understanding and normalization of SUI, including how often female strength training athletes sought treatment for SUI.

Methods

The researchers developed a new study, which was expertly reviewed, to share on various social media platforms. The survey asked respondents about demographic information, risk factors for SUI, experience with SUI, favorite sources of information about SUI, and whether the respondent had sought treatment for SUI. Respondents to the survey were women over the age of 18 who considered powerlifting, weightlifting or strongman as their main activity.

Results

Of the 425 respondents, 69% reported experiencing SUI in some aspects of their lives. Of the athletes who experienced SUI, 61% reported that they first experienced SUI after starting their sport. About two-thirds of athletes thought SUI was a normal part of their sport. Only 17% of respondents reported talking to their doctor about SUI, and 9% sought treatment. Nearly 30% of respondents reported seeking advice about SUI from videos and articles on the internet, 23% spoke to friends and 13% spoke to their coach about SUI.

Viewpoints

Overall, the results of this study indicated that SUI is common among female strength training athletes, and most consider it a normal part of their sport. However, very few athletes turn to healthcare to address their SUI. It would be interesting to see this study replicated by asking athletes to complete the survey during competitions, as it is unclear whether women with SUI are more likely to complete the online survey. So the online survey may overestimate how many women have SUI, but the answers about engaging the health care system and where they seek advice are still likely to be informative.

Clinical implications

Clinicians who work with athletes who are at high risk for developing SUI should educate athletes about effective treatments. It can also be helpful to educate strength and conditioning coaches about SUI and available treatments.

Questions for discussion

How do you talk to your athletes about SUI? Have you noticed that other athletes have high SUI rates?

Written by Kyle Harris
Reviewed by Jeffrey Driban

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Published in the Journal for Science and Medicine in Sports,the world’s first study tracked and evaluated the long-term impact of concussion and subsequent injury risk in 1455 sub-elite junior Australian football players.

This builds on previous UniSA research which found that sub-elite Australian Rules footballers returning from injury are approximately 1.5 times more likely to suffer injury compared to players without injury.

By tracking injuries over a period of seven seasons, researchers found that football players who suffered a concussion were also about 1.5 times more likely to be injured again in the future, compared to players who were never injured. This increased risk was the same as in players returning from upper and lower limb injuries.

The finding comes ahead of the Australian Senate report on concussions and follows the AFL’s announcement of a $25 million study into the long-term effects of concussions and head impacts.

In the AFL, concussions are one of the most common injuries, with an average of six concussions per 1000 hours of play, affecting approximately 70 to 80 male players annually.

In elite junior football, as well as AFL and AFLW, concussion guidelines state that the earliest a player can return to play after concussion is 12 days after the injury, after following gradual progression through a return-to-play -program.

Lead researcher Dr. UniSA’s Hunter Bennett says the significant and increased risk of injury following concussion may indicate that some players may need a longer recovery time to recover better before returning to play.

“The current recommendation of 12 days after concussion may not be sufficient to allow full recovery in elite football players under the age of 18,” says Dr Bennett.

It may also indicate that the physical attributes affected by concussion need to be more thoroughly assessed before an athlete is cleared to return to sport.

“Concussion is a common injury in Australian football and can lead to limitations in balance, coordination, reaction time and decision-making – and these limitations can increase the risk of other injuries if an athlete returns to play before full recovery.”

A recent consensus statement on concussions in sports also indicates that children and teens may take up to four weeks to recover from a sports-related concussion.

“Concussion is a unique injury that occurs without damage to muscle tissue but affects aspects of motor control,” says Dr. Bennett.

“Recurring injuries can have a significant impact on team success, player health and career longevity.

“In elite sport, there is a possibility that young athletes may exaggerate their willingness to return to sport after injury because they worry that missing matches could exclude them from senior drafting or competition.

“Knowing that athletes are at greater risk of re-injury after a concussion suggests that we need unique and careful rehabilitation strategies to monitor when an athlete has fully recovered and is ready to return to play.”

Researchers say future research should aim to identify optimal rehabilitation and injury prevention strategies for athletes who suffer from concussions.

Exercise-induced heat illness: policy adoption and influence on contextual factors reported by athletic administrators

Scarneo-Miller SE, Adams WM, Coleman KA, Lopez RM. Sports Health. Mar 5, 2023: 19417381231155107. doi: 10.1177/19417381231155107. E-publishing prior to printing. PMID: 36872595.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19417381231155107

Take home message

Most high school athletic administrators reported having a written heat illness policy in place, but they were often missing key components. The presence of an athletic trainer helped create a written policy that included more components.

Background

Sports administrators play an important role in policy acceptance. Policy measures such as addressing acute heat illness are critical as improper management can lead to poor outcomes. Unfortunately, we know little about the factors that promote and hinder the implementation of heat illness policies.

Study aim

The authors surveyed high school athletic administrators in the United States to describe the adoption of exertional heat illness policies and to examine factors that influence the adoption of these policies.

Methods

During the 2018-2019 academic school year, the research team emailed nearly 7,000 athletic administrators inviting them to complete a questionnaire asking about 1) demographics, 2) exercise-related illness policies, 3) monitoring and modification of written policy, and 4) enablers and barriers to policy development. The researchers used the precautionary adoption process model to assess an athletics administrator’s willingness to adopt policies. The adoption model is based on 8 phases, from not being aware to maintaining a written policy for more than 6 months.

Results

Of 466 athletics administrators (~48 years old, 82% male, 77% worked in the field for more than 15 years), 78% reported having a written policy on the prevention and treatment of exertional heat illness. Only 6% adopted all eleven essential elements of an exertional heat illness policy. Almost half of the managers indicated that they adopted fewer than 5 essential elements.

Older athletics administrators, those who had previously dealt with heat illness, or those with an athletic trainer on their staff were more likely to have a written policy. Additionally, state mandates and having a medical professional were the most commonly cited facilitators for adopting policies on exertional illness prevention and use of a rectal thermometer. Similarly, the most commonly reported barrier to comprehensive heat illness management was the lack of a full-time athletic trainer (11). Administrators also recognized budget constraints that limited the use of a cold water immersion pool (23%), and the top barriers to using a rectal thermometer were discomfort using the thermometer (32%), parent/guardian resistance (30 %), resistance from parents/guardians (30%). coaches (30%) and liability issues (27%).

Viewpoints

Nearly 80% of athletics administrators surveyed reported that they had a written policy on exertional heat illness. Few integrated or were aware of all the necessary components to meet best clinical practices. The authors found that access to athletic training services was associated with better adoption of exercise health policies. This finding is consistent with it being an athletic trainer who would implement such a policy. It’s worth recognizing that only 7% of administrators contacted completed the survey. Therefore, these results may not accurately reflect what is happening in high schools across the country. One possibility is that people more interested in policy or heat illness completed the survey. So these results may show us the best-case scenario for written policies (78%) that include all components (6%) – which is a worrying sign.

Clinical implications

Encouraging state mandates and schools to hire athletic trainers can ensure that there are written policies to address heat illness. Clinicians may also want to consider strategies to educate coaches and parents/guardians about the reasons for this policy, such as rectal thermometers and cold water plunge pools.

Questions for discussion

Are you having trouble adding rectal temperature to your exercise heat illness protocol? Do you communicate with your athletics administrator regarding the approval, implementation and annual review/practice of your emergency policy?

related posts

1. Management of exertional heat stroke still leaves something to be desired
2. A little more education about heat stroke due to exertion could go a long way
3. Clinical Pearl: prevention and treatment of exertional heat stroke
4. Tag us! What do coaches know about heat stroke during exertion and the role of the athletic trainer?
5. Follow guidelines to prevent exertional heat illness? Let’s reconsider these guidelines

Written by Jane McDevitt
Reviewed by Jeffrey Driban