Summer training factors and risk of musculoskeletal injury among high school cross-country runners

• Published in: The journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy 2014-10, Vol.44 (10), p.793-804
• Main Author: Rauh, Mitchell J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Athletic Injuries - epidemiology; Environment; Female; Humans; Incidence; Lower Extremity - injuries; Male; Physical Education and Training; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Running - injuries; Seasons; Sex Factors
• ISSN: 0190-6011; 1938-1344
• DOI: 10.2519/jospt.2014.5378

Prospective cohort. To examine the relationship between summer training practices and risk of injury during the first month of a high school interscholastic cross-country season. Several prospective studies have reported a high incidence of injury in adolescent cross-country runners. However, limited reports exist on the role of summer training practices and risk of injury among these runners. Four hundred twenty-one athletes (186 girls, 235 boys) who competed in interscholastic cross-country were followed during a cross-country season. At the start of the season, all participants completed a questionnaire regarding summer training routines. Time-loss, running-related injuries were tracked during the subsequent season. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of initial injury during the first month of the season associated with summer training variables. Sixty-seven runners (15.9%) had a confirmed injury during the first month of the season, with a higher percent among girls (19.4%) than boys (13.2%) (P = .06). Overall, 60.1% of the participants ran during the summer prior to the season, with a significantly higher percent among girls (71.5%) than boys (51.1%) (P