Sprinting and hamstring strain injury : beliefs and practices of professional physical performance coaches in Australian football
- Authors: Freeman, Brock , Talpey, Scott , James, Lachlan , Young, Warren
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Physical Therapy in Sport Vol. 48, no. (2021), p. 12-19
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- Description: Objectives: The purpose of this study was to establish beliefs and practices of physical performance coaches regarding sprinting and Hamstring Strain Injury (HSI) in Australian Rules football. Designs: Delphi-validated questionnaire. Setting: Online. Participants: Eighteen high-performance managers of the Australian Football League. Main outcome measures: Descriptive statistics were collected to establish experience; central themes were established for the analyses of the beliefs and practices. Results: Nine (50%) physical performance coaches responded to an invitation to complete the questionnaire. Participants held an undergraduate degree and had 9.2 ± 4.3 years of experience. Accelerations (n = 9), maximum speed sprints (n = 9) and running with hip flexion (n = 7) were the most common activities associated with HSI. Coaches believed sprinting, eccentric strength training and proper periodisation were effective strategies to reduce HSI risk. There's a disparity between beliefs and practices when using GPS to monitor sprinting, however, all coaches reported regular exposure to sprint training across both pre and in-season. Overstriding (n = 9) and pelvic instability (n = 6) were identified as key flaws in running mechanics. Conclusions: This information can be used to improve training strategies, whilst these findings indicate further investigations into sprint training and running mechanics for HSI risk reduction. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Injuries in Australian rules football : An overview of injury rates, patterns, and mechanisms across all levels of play
- Authors: Saw, Richard , Finch, Caroline , Samra, David , Baquie, Peter , Cardoso, Tanusha , Hope, Danielle , Orchard, John
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sports Health Vol. 10, no. 3 (2018), p. 208-216
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- Description: Context: The nature of Australian rules football (Australian football) predisposes both unique and common injuries compared with those sustained in other football codes. The game involves a combination of tackling, kicking, high-speed running (more than other football codes), and jumping. Two decades of injury surveillance has identified common injuries at the professional level (Australian Football League [AFL]). Objective: To provide an overview of injuries in Australian rules football, including injury rates, patterns, and mechanisms across all levels of play. Study Design: A narrative review of AFL injuries, football injury epidemiology, and biomechanical and physiological attributes of relevant injuries. Results: The overall injury incidence in the 2015 season was 41.7 injuries per club per season, with a prevalence of 156.2 missed games per club per season. Lower limb injuries are most prevalent, with hamstring strains accounting for 19.1 missed games per club per season. Hamstring strains relate to the volume of high-speed running required in addition to at times having to collect the ball while running in a position of hip flexion and knee extension. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are also prevalent and can result from contact and noncontact incidents. In the upper limb, shoulder sprains and dislocations account for 11.5 missed games per club per season and largely resulted from tackling and contact. Concussion is less common in AFL than other tackling sports but remains an important injury, which has notably become more prevalent in recent years, theorized to be due to a more conservative approach to management. Although there are less injury surveillance data for non-AFL players (women, community-level, children), many of these injuries appear to also be common across all levels of play. Clinical Relevance: An understanding of injury profiles and mechanisms in Australian football is crucial in identifying methods to reduce injury risk and prepare players for the demands of the game. © 2017,
Injuries in field hockey players : A systematic review
- Authors: Barboza, Saulo , Joseph, Corey , Nauta, Joske , van Mechelen, Willem , Verhagen, Evert
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Sports Medicine Vol. 48, no. 4 (2018), p. 849-866
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- Description: Background: To commence injury prevention efforts, it is necessary to understand the magnitude of the injury problem. No systematic reviews have yet investigated the extent of injuries in field hockey, despite the popularity of the sport worldwide. Objective: Our objective was to describe the rate and severity of injuries in field hockey and investigate their characteristics. Methods: We conducted electronic searches in PubMed, Embase, SPORTDiscus, and CINAHL. Prospective cohort studies were included if they were published in English in a peer-reviewed journal and observed all possible injuries sustained by field hockey players during the period of the study. Results: The risk of bias score of the 22 studies included ranged from three to nine of a possible ten. In total, 12 studies (55%) reported injuries normalized by field hockey exposure. Injury rates ranged from 0.1 injuries (in school-aged players) to 90.9 injuries (in Africa Cup of Nations) per 1000 player-hours and from one injury (in high-school women) to 70 injuries (in under-21 age women) per 1000 player-sessions. Studies used different classifications for injury severity, but—within studies—injuries were included mostly in the less severe category. The lower limbs were most affected, and contusions/hematomas and abrasions were common types of injury. Contact injuries are common, but non-contact injuries are also a cause for concern. Conclusions: Considerable heterogeneity meant it was not possible to draw conclusive findings on the extent of the rate and severity of injuries. Establishing the extent of sports injury is considered the first step towards prevention, so there is a need for a consensus on injury surveillance in field hockey. © 2018, The Author(s).
The efficacy of an iterative “sequence of prevention” approach to injury prevention by a multidisciplinary team in professional rugby union
- Authors: Tee, Jason , Bekker, Sheree , Collins, Rob , Klingbiel, Jannie , van Rooyen, Ivan , van Wyk, David , Till, Kevin , Jones, Ben
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 21, no. 9 (2018), p. 899-904
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- Description: Objectives: Due to the complex systems nature of injuries, the responsibility for injury risk management cannot lie solely within a single domain of professional practice. Interdisciplinary collaboration between technical/tactical coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, team doctors, physical therapists and sport scientists is likely to have a meaningful impact on injury risk. This study describes the application and efficacy of a multidisciplinary approach to reducing team injury risk in professional rugby union. Design: Observational longitudinal cohort study. Methods: Epidemiological injury data was collected from a professional rugby union team for 5 consecutive seasons. Following each season, these data informed multidisciplinary intervention strategies to reduce injury risk. The effectiveness of these strategies was iteratively assessed to inform future interventions. Specific examples of intervention strategies are provided. Results: Overall team injury burden displayed a likely beneficial decrease (−8%; injury rate ratio (IRR) 0.9, 95%CI 0.9–1.0) from 2012 to 2016. This was achieved through a most likely beneficial improvement in non-contact injury burden (−39%; IRR 0.6, 95%CI 0.6–0.7). Contact injury burden was increased, but to a lesser extent (+18%; IRR 1.2, 95%CI 1.1–1.3, most likely harmful) during the same period. Conclusions: The range of skills required to effectively manage complex injury phenomena in professional collision sport crosses disciplinary boundaries. The evidence presented here points to the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary approach to reducing injury risk. This model will likely be applicable across a range of team and individual sports.
Intervention strategies used in sport injury prevention studies : A systematic review identifying studies applying the Haddon matrix
- Authors: Vriend, Ingrid , Gouttebarge, Vincent , Finch, Caroline , van Mechelen, Willem , Verhagen, Evert
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Sports Medicine Vol. 47, no. 10 (2017), p. 2027-2043
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- Description: Background: Prevention of sport injuries is crucial to maximise the health and societal benefits of a physically active lifestyle. To strengthen the translation and implementation of the available evidence base on effective preventive measures, a range of potentially relevant strategies should be considered. Objective: Our aim was to identify and categorise intervention strategies for the prevention of acute sport injuries evaluated in the scientific literature, applying the Haddon matrix, and identify potential knowledge gaps. Methods: Five electronic databases were searched (PubMed, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Cochrane) for studies that evaluated the effect of interventions on the occurrence of acute sport injuries. Studies were required to include a control group/condition, prospective data collection, and a quantitative injury outcome measure. Results: A total of 155 studies were included, mostly randomised controlled trials (43%). The majority of studies (55%) focussed on strategies requiring a behavioural change on the part of athletes. Studies predominantly evaluated the preventive effect of various training programmes targeted at the ‘pre-event’ phase (n = 73) and the use of equipment to avoid injury in the ‘event phase’ (n = 29). A limited number of studies evaluated the preventive effect of strategies geared at rules and regulations (n = 14), and contextual modifications (n = 18). Studies specifically aimed at preventing re-injuries were a minority (n = 8), and were mostly related to ankle sprains (n = 5). Conclusions: Valuable insight into the extent of the evidence base of sport injury prevention studies was obtained for 20 potential intervention strategies. This approach can be used to monitor potential gaps in the knowledge base on sport injury prevention. © 2017, The Author(s).
Multivariate modelling of subjective and objective monitoring data improve the detection of non-contact injury risk in elite Australian footballers
- Authors: Colby, Marcus , Dawson, Brian , Peeling, Peter , Heasman, Jarryd , Rogalski, Brent , Drew, Michael , Stares, Jordan , Zouhal, Hassane , Lester, Leanne
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 20, no. 12 (2017), p. 1068-1074
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- Description: Objectives: To assess the association between workload, subjective wellness, musculoskeletal screening measures and non-contact injury risk in elite Australian footballers. Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Across 4 seasons in 70 players from one club, cumulative weekly workloads (acute; 1 week, chronic; 2-, 3-, 4-week) and acute:chronic workload ratio’s (ACWR: 1-week load/average 4-weekly load) for session-Rating of Perceived Exertion (sRPE) and GPS-derived distance and sprint distance were calculated. Wellness, screening and non-contact injury data were also documented. Univariate and multivariate regression models determined injury incidence rate ratios (IRR) while accounting for interaction/moderating effects. Receiver operating characteristics determined model predictive accuracy (area under curve: AUC). Results: Very low cumulative chronic (2-, 3-, 4- week) workloads were associated with the greatest injury risk (univariate IRR = 1.71–2.16, 95% CI = 1.10–4.52) in the subsequent week. In multivariate analysis, the interaction between a low chronic load and a very high distance (adj-IRR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.07–6.34) or low sRPE ACWR (adj-IRR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.01–6.29) was associated with increased injury risk. Subjectively reporting “yes” (vs. “no”) for old lower limb pain and heavy non-football activity in the previous 7 days (multivariate adj-IRR = 2.01–2.25, 95% CI = 1.02–4.95) and playing experience (>9 years) (multivariate adj- IRR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.03–4.06) was also associated with increased injury risk, but screening data were not. Predictive capacity of multivariate models was significantly better than univariate (AUCmultivariate = 0.70, 95% CI 0.64–0.75; AUCunivariate range = 0.51–0.60). Conclusions: Chronic load is an important moderating factor in the workload–injury relationship. Low chronic loads coupled with low or very high ACWR are associated with increased injury risk.
- Description: Objectives: To assess the association between workload, subjective
Changes in muscle activation following balance and technique training and a season of Australian football
- Authors: Donnelly, Cyril , Elliott, Bruce , Doyle, Tim , Finch, Caroline , Dempsey, Alasdair , Lloyd, David
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 18, no. 3 (2014), p.348-352
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
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- Description: Objectives: Determine if balance and technique training implemented adjunct to 1001 male Australian football players' training influenced the activation/strength of the muscles crossing the knee during pre-planned and unplanned sidestepping. Design: Randomized Control Trial. Methods: Each Australian football player participated in either 28 weeks of balance and technique training or 'sham' training. Twenty-eight Australian football players (balance and technique training, n = 12; 'sham' training, n = 16) completed biomechanical testing pre-to-post training. Peak knee moments and directed co-contraction ratios in three degrees of freedom, as well as total muscle activation were calculated during pre-planned and unplanned sidestepping. Results: No significant differences in muscle activation/strength were observed between the 'sham' training and balance and technique training groups. Following a season of Australian football, knee extensor (p = 0.023) and semimembranosus (p = 0.006) muscle activation increased during both pre-planned sidestepping and unplanned sidestepping. Following a season of Australian football, total muscle activation was 30% lower and peak valgus knee moments 80% greater (p = 0.022) during unplanned sidestepping when compared with pre-planned sidestepping. Conclusions: When implemented in a community level training environment, balance and technique training was not effective in changing the activation of the muscles crossing the knee during sidestepping. Following a season of Australian football, players are better able to support both frontal and sagittal plane knee moments. When compared to pre-planned sidestepping, Australian football players may be at increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury during unplanned sidestepping in the latter half of an Australian football season.
When 'just doing it' is not enough: Assessing the fidelity of player performance of an injury prevention exercise program
- Authors: Fortington, Lauren , Donaldson, Alex , Lathlean, Tim , Young, Warren , Gabbe, Belinda , Lloyd, David , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 18, no. 3 (May 2014 2014), p.272-277
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565907
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1058737
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
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- Description: Objectives: To obtain benefits from sports injury prevention programs, players are instructed to perform the exercises as prescribed. We developed an observational checklist to measure the quality of exercise performance by players participating in FootyFirst, a coach-led, exercise-based, lower-limb injury prevention program in community Australian Football (AF). Design: Observational. Methods: The essential performance criteria for each FootyFirst exercise were described in terms of the technique, volume and intensity required to perform each exercise. An observational checklist was developed to evaluate each criterion through direct visual observation of players at training. The checklist was trialled by two independent raters who observed the same 70 players completing the exercises at eight clubs. Agreement between observers was assessed by Kappa-statistics. Exercise fidelity was defined as the proportion of observed players who performed all aspects of their exercises correctly. Results: The raters agreed on 61/70 observations (87%) (Kappa = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55; 0.89). Of the observations with agreed ratings, 41 (67%) players were judged as performing the exercises as prescribed. Conclusions: The observational checklist demonstrated high inter-rater reliability. Many players observed did not perform the exercises as prescribed, raising concern as to whether they would be receiving anticipated program benefits. Where quality of exercise performance is important, evaluation and reporting of program fidelity should include direct observations of participants.
Could targeted exercise programmes prevent lower limb injury in community Australian football?
- Authors: Andrew, Nadine , Gabbe, Belinda , Cook, Jill , Lloyd, David , Donnelly, Cyril , Nash, Clare , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sports Medicine Vol. 43, no. 8 (2013), p. 751-763
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565907
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- Description: Background: Australian football is a popular sport in Australia, at both the community and elite levels. It is a high-speed contact sport with a higher incidence of medically treated injuries when compared with most other organized sports. Hamstring injuries, ligament injuries to the knee or ankle, hip/groin injuries and tendinopathies are particularly common and often result in considerable time lost from sport. Consequently, the prevention of lower limb injuries is a priority for both community and elite Australian football organizations. There is considerable literature available on exercise programmes aimed at reducing lower limb injuries in Australian football and other running-related sports. The quality and outcomes of these studies have varied considerably, but indicate that exercise protocols may be an effective means of preventing lower limb injuries. Despite this, there has been limited high-quality and systematic evaluation of these data. Objective: The aim of this literature review is to systematically evaluate the evidence about the benefits of lower limb injury prevention exercise protocols aimed at reducing the most common severe lower limb injuries in Australian football. Methods: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Bone Joint and Muscle Trauma Group Specialized Register, MEDLINE and other electronic databases were searched, from January 1990 to December 2010. Papers reporting the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, cohort and case-control studies were extracted. Primary outcomes were injury reduction or risk factor identification and/or modification. Secondary outcomes were adherence to any trialled interventions, injury severity and adverse effects such as secondary injuries and muscle soreness. The methodological quality of extracted manuscripts was assessed and results were collated. Results: Forty-seven papers were identified and reviewed of which 18 related to hamstring injury, eight related to knee or ankle ligament injury, five related to tendon injury and four were hip or groin injury related. Another 12 papers targeted general lower limb injuries. Most (n = 27 [57 %]) were observational studies, investigating injury risk factors. Twenty reported the results of intervention trials. Of these, 15 were efficacy trials reporting the effects of an intervention in reducing injury rates, four were biomechanical interventions in which the impact of the intervention on a known injury risk factor was assessed and one reported changes in injury risk factors as well as injury rates. The strength of the evidence base for exercise programmes for lower limb injury prevention was found to be limited, primarily due to the research methods employed, low adherence to interventions by the study participants and a lack of statistical power. Limited evidence obtained from a small number of RCTs suggests that balance and control exercises might be efficacious in preventing ankle ligament injuries and a programme involving a combination of balance and control exercises, eccentric hamstring, plyometrics and strength exercises could be efficacious in preventing all lower limb injuries. Conclusions: Overall, the evidence for exercise programmes as an efficacious lower limb injury prevention strategy is predominantly restricted to studies addressing injury aetiology and mechanisms. The findings of this review highlight the need to develop and test interventions in well designed population-based trials with an emphasis on promoting intervention uptake and adherence and, hence, intervention effectiveness. The results of this review can inform the development of the components of a future lower limb injury prevention exercise protocol for community-level Australian football. © 2013 Springer International Publishing Switzerland. Funded by the NHMRC.
- Description: 2003011215
Evaluating SafeClub : Can risk management training improve the safety activities of community soccer clubs?
- Authors: Abbott, Kristy , Klarenaar, Paul , Donaldson, Alex , Sherker, Shauna
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: British Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 42, no. 6 (Jun 2008), p. 460-465
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- Description: Objective: To evaluate a sports safety-focused risk-management training programme. Design: Controlled before and after test. Setting: Four community soccer associations in Sydney, Australia. Participants: 76 clubs (32 intervention, 44 control) at baseline, and 67 clubs (27 intervention, 40 control) at post-season and 12-month follow-ups. Intervention: SafeClub, a sports safety-focused risk-management training programme (362 hour sessions) based on adult-learning principles and injury-prevention concepts and models. Main outcome measures: Changes in mean policy, infrastructure and overall safety scores as measured using a modified version of the Sports Safety Audit Tool. Results: There was no significant difference in the mean policy, infrastructure and overall safety scores of intervention and control clubs at baseline. Intervention clubs achieved higher post-season mean policy (11.9 intervention vs 7.5 controls), infrastructure (15.2 vs 10.3) and overall safety (27.0 vs 17.8) scores than did controls. These differences were greater at the 12-month follow-up: policy (16.4 vs 7.6); infrastructure (24.7 vs 10.7); and overall safety (41.1 vs 18.3). General linear modelling indicated that intervention clubs achieved statistically significantly higher policy (p, 0.001), infrastructure (p, 0.001) and overall safety (p, 0.001) scores compared with control clubs at the post-season and 12-month follow-ups. There was also a significant linear interaction of time and group for all three scores: policy (p, 0.001), infrastructure (p, 0.001) and overall safety (p, 0.001). Conclusions: SafeClub effectively assisted community soccer clubs to improve their sports safety activities, particularly the foundations and processes for good risk-management practice, in a sustainable way.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003005630
Waterslide exit velocities, user behaviours and injury prevention
- Authors: Blitvich, Jennifer , McElroy, G. Keith
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International journal of injury control and safety promotion Vol. 14, no. 1 (2007), p. 54-56
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- Description: 2003005672