A new study suggests that female athletes face greater risk for developing overuse injuries than their male counterparts in playing high school sports.
The study involved 3,000 male and female athletes participating from 20 different sports and it found that girls are more susceptible to repetitive motion injuries. Young female athletes have two-thirds more incidence of repetitive motion injuries than male athletes.
In a report from U.S. News, the most notable overuse injury rate was observed among female athletes who ran track. This is followed by girls who played field hockey and lacrosse.
Meanwhile, the most overuse injuries in boys were observed among swimmers and divers.
The study was conducted by researchers from Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
Dr. Thomas Best, the lead researcher of the said study and the professor and chair of department of sports medicine at OSU believed that there was a correlation between the athlete's playing time and increased injury incidences.
Along with his colleagues, they analyzed the data from the teen athletes over seven years. They measure the number of injuries per 10,000 athletic exposures (AEs) which were defined as either practice or competitive events and concluded that female athletes are at a much higher risk of developing overuse injuries, Clapway has learned.
"During this point of their lives, this is when girls are developing bones at the greatest rate, " Dr. Best said. He stressed that female athletes should get enough calcium and vitamin D.
Both male and female athletes were subject to a risk of overuse injuries that may occur due to repetitive motions without adequate rest and rehabilitation. The study revealed that this incident constitute about half of all athletic injuries and accounts for twice as many visits to sports medical doctors compared to other acute trauma associated with playing sports.
Among the most common overuse injuries observed in the young athletes include stress fractures, tendonitis and joint pain, which tended to affect the lower leg the most with the knee and the shoulder coming in right in the frequency of injury.
The study also revealed that the age group that is most affected are those between 13 and 17, which is typically the high school age group.
To minimize overuse injury, high school athletes are encouraged to add a variety in their training habit, practice or competitive platforms. They can join more than one sport and make a conscious effort to diversify their movements to avoid harming themselves from too much repetitive of motion.
Parents are encouraged to support and provide for their children by ensuring that they get enough food and rest to help them stay fit and healthy.
