A Comparison of Factors Associated with Running-Related Injuries between Adult and Adolescent Runners.
Alexandra F DeJong Lempke, Sara E Collins, Kristin E Whitney and 2 others
PMID 36237652WHAT IT FOUND
Both adult and adolescent runners with a history of injury reported intentional weight loss and scored lower on movement quality tests than uninjured runners.
These factors appear relevant across age groups, though the cross-sectional design cannot prove they caused the injuries.
Key findings
01Runners with a history of running-related injuries were more likely to report intentional weight loss for performance than uninjured runners.
02Runners with a history of running-related injuries had lower Functional Movement Screen (FMS) composite scores than uninjured runners.
03There were no significant differences in the relationship between these risk factors and injury history when comparing adults to adolescents.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if the identified factors caused the injuries or were present because of them. The sample was small, particularly for adults, and consisted of younger adult runners, limiting generalizability to older adults. Participants self-reported only select running-related injuries, so findings may not apply to other injury types. The sample was predominantly white and drawn from a small geographic area, which limits the applicability of the findings to broader populations.
Declared interests
Dr. Meehan receives royalties from book publishers and UpToDate, and his research is funded by the National Hockey League and the National Football League. Dr. DeJong has a grant from VALD Performance for a different study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that intentional weight loss or low FMS scores caused the runners' injuries. This study only shows an association between these factors and a history of injury; it cannot prove that fixing these issues will prevent future injuries.