Causes and Prevention of Sports injuries

Question 1

What are the two main sources that sports injuries come from?

Answer 1

Intrinsic - relates to the physiological make up of the athlete
Extrinsic - derived from external sources

Question 2

Name 4 intrinsic factors causing injury…

Answer 2

1) age - flexibility decreases and bones becomes more brittle leading to broken bones
2) Sex - women have smaller muslce mass
3) Body weight and composition (over weight) - more likley to suffer from stress fracture
4) Poor flexibility - strains/sprains (tearing of the muscle)

Question 3

Name 4 extrinsic factors causing injury…

Answer 3

1) Poor training methods eg plyometrics leading to tears
2) Inappropriate or unfamiliar playing surface eg playing on wet grass or frozen ground
3) Inappropriate equipment eg cricket helmet if too small can slip and ball can hit on the throat
4) Inappropriate clothing/footwear - studs on astro (go over on ankle)
5) Environmental conditions - cold muscles lead to tear

Question 4

Name 5 intrinsic prevention…

Answer 4

1) appropriate warm up - muscles are warmed and stretched to reduce the chance of tearing
2) Taping and bracing to improve stability and support
3) Make sure the right recovery is received between sessions eg plyo 48 hours
4) Strength and conditioning exercises improve core strength allowing the body to deal with intense exercise
5) appropriate diet to avoid over weight and causing stress fracture

Question 5

Name 5 extrinsic prevention…

Answer 5

1) correct equipment such as shin pads
2) appropriate clothing - staying warm (hypothermia)
3) Correct and appropriate footwear - basketball high tops for ankle support
4) Stick to the rules of the game eg no 2 footed tackling
5) Environmental factors - weather/playing conditions

Question 6

What are the stages in the Long Term development Programme (LTAD)

Answer 6

• Active start
• Fun
• Learning to train
• Training to train
• Training to compete
• Training to win
• Active for life