Sports Injuries

Proper preparation could reduce sports injuries by up to 25%

Using the right equipment

• correctly fitting/appropriate footwear
• protective equipment/clothing - support weak joints

Taping and bracing

• aids support around ligaments
• prevent ligament injuries
• taping needs to be expertly done to provide support without limiting mobility
• braces must be fully adjustable to limit movement in joints with strectched ligaments

Protective equipment

• protection from impact injuries/penetrative injuries
• helmets/mouth guards/body armour/knee pads etc.
• must be accurately fitted to be effective and meet NGB regulations

Clothing: keeping cool, staying warm, dealing with sweat

• important to stay warm and dry -> risk of hypothermia is significantly increased if wet and cold
• in high temperatures - important to decrease chances of heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke
• sweating is one of the body's cooling mechanisms -> wearing synthetic, microfibre-type clothing that allows sweat to 'wick' away from the body will help the performer avoid problems with overheating and discomfort
• ovoid overheating with plenty of fluids and acclimatise body by training in same temp/humidity conditions

Warm-up and cool-down

Strength training

• help minimise risk of injury and improve performance
• requires resistance work/body-weight exercises/isometric work and use of weights
• storng muscles reduce risk of repetitive strain injuries

Conditioning

• physical activities that prepare body for intense exercise
• must relate specifically to physical demands of activity 

Core strength/stability

• developing deep trunk muscles, paraspinal muscles and pelvic floor muscles -> help to stabilise the spine
• before any movement these contract to give trunk stability -> helps control movement and transfer energy 
• helps improve performance and posture -> make performer less prone to lower back injuries

• Correct recovery time/don’t over train
• Taping/elastic support/neoprene support/braces
• Conditioning/strength programme/core strength training
• Correct diet/nutrition/fluid intake/glycogen loading
• Long term athlete development programme
• Ice baths/cryotherapy chambers/hyperbaric chambers
• Massages

• Reduces pressure at injured area/reduces swelling
• Chamber delivers oxygen at high pressure
• Approximately 2.5 more times than normal/100% pure oxygen
• Haemoglobin/red blood cells fully saturated with oxygen
• Excess oxygen dissolved in plasma
• Oxygen reaches parts of body that not normally saturated
• Increased white blood cell activity at injury site
• Increased blood supply/formation of new blood cells 

• elite sports people sleep in them over night to stimulate the effects of high altitude providing a low oxygen environment
• the oxygen delpletion causes higher levels of haemoglobin which more oxygen can be extracted from the blood
• this improves athlete's ability to perform work -> more O2 available to working muscles
• they are very useful for endurance sports which require a high level of stamina

• Involves sitting in ice cold water for between 5 – 20 minutes
• Causes blood vessels to tightenvasoconstriction
• Restricting blood flow to the area
• Reduces swelling/tissue breakdown/aids muscle repair
• After leaving the ice bath, area is flooded with new blood/vasodilation
• Fresh oxygen removes lactic acid (when out of the ice bath)
• Some studies suggest ice baths of limited value

delayed onset of muscle soreness - muscle soreness 24-48 hours after exercise

• pain is due to inflammation of muscle area; microscopic tears of muscle fibres, not clearing lactate

Causes

• very high intensity training 
• not warming up poroperly
• excessive eccentric contractions
• not training progressively

How to avoid DOMS

• Active warm-up/Active warm-down/cool down/stretching
• Avoid eccentric contractions early in session
• Gradually increase intensity of workload
• Massage
• Ice baths