Journal Article•
Injuries and training recommendations in elite rhythmic gymnastics
TL;DR: Injuries in rhythmic gymnastics may be reduced by increasing the amount of time spent stretching per day (at least 40 minutes), and limiting conditioning to a maximum of 6 hours per week.
Abstract: Objective: To identify risk factors for injury in rhythmic sportive gymnastics and to provide recommendations for reducing the risk of injury. Methods: A one-year retrospective survey of injuries in twenty national-level rhythmic gymnasts (ages 14.8 to 18.8 years; mean age 17.1 years). Hours of rhythmic gymnastics (RG) training per week, minutes of stretching per day, and hours of conditioning per week, were analyzed as potential risk factors for injury. Main outcome measures were injuries that required time off, major injuries (at least 7 days off), injuries to muscle-tendon units, and fractures. Results: Thirteen (65%) of 20 gymnasts sustained timeloss injuries, and 4 gymnasts (20%) reported major injuries. Seventeen (85%) gymnasts reported muscle-tendon unit injuries and 5 (25%) suffered fractures. Sixteen (80%) of the gymnasts reported back pain or stress fractures of the back, 8 of whom required time off training. One gymnast (5%) incurred a concussion. Logistic regression indicated that rhythmic gymnastics training and stretching were associated with muscle-tendon unit injury. On multivariate analysis, stretching was found to be the only independent predictor of muscle-tendon unit injuries with each additional minute lowering the risk by approximately 10% (p ≤ 0.01). Conditioning and stretching were both independent predictors of fractures. The risk of fracture was estimated to increase by over 60% for each additional hour of weekly conditioning (odds ratio = 1.62; p = 0.03) and decrease by almost 20% for each additional minute of daily stretching (odds ratio = 0.81; p = 0.04). None of the variables studied were predictive of back pain or injury. Conclusions: Injuries in rhythmic gymnastics may be reduced by increasing the amount of time spent stretching per day (at least 40 minutes), and limiting conditioning to a maximum of 6 hours per week.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: Overuse injuries were common among Norwegian rhythmic gymnasts and Gymnasts who were not menstruating had higher substantial injury risk and younger gymnasts had higher all-injury risk.
Abstract: Objectives Rhythmic gymnastics is an Olympic sport that demands high training volume from early age. We investigated the extent of, and risk factors for, injuries among competitive Norwegian rhythmic gymnasts. Methods One hundred and seven of 133 (80.5%) female rhythmic gymnasts (mean age: 14.5 years (SD 1.6), mean body mass index: 18.9 (SD 2.2)) participated. All gymnasts completed a baseline questionnaire and the ‘Triad-Specific Self-Report Questionnaire’. Injuries, illnesses and training hours were recorded prospectively for 15 weeks during preseason using the ‘Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems’ (OSTRC-H2). Results Response rate to OSTRC-H2 was 97%. Mean overuse and acute injury prevalence were 37% (95% CI: 36% to 39%) and 5% (95% CI: 4% to 6%), respectively. Incidence was 4.2 overuse injuries (95% CI: 3.6 to 4.9) and 1.0 acute injuries (95% CI: 0.5 to 1.6) per gymnast per year. Overuse injuries in knees, lower back and hip/groin represented the greatest burdens. Previous injury increased the odds of injury (OR 30.38, (95% CI: 5.04 to 183.25)), while increased age (OR 0.61 per year, (95% CI: 0.39 to 0.97)) and presence of menarche (OR: 0.20, (95% CI: 0.06 to 0.71)) reduced the odds of all injuries and substantial injuries, respectively. Conclusions Overuse injuries were common among Norwegian rhythmic gymnasts. Younger gymnasts had higher all-injury risk. Gymnasts who were not menstruating had higher substantial injury risk. Injury prevention interventions should start at an early age and focus on preventing knee, lower back and hip/groin injuries.
16 citations
TL;DR: This trial analyzes the largest cohort of elRG to date and concludes that intensive training in RG is a significant factor causing more and stronger pain than in a CG.
Abstract: Rhythmic gymnastics (RG) unites aesthetic, ballet-like motion, and all aspects of gymnastics To reach elite level, girls begin at early age the intensive training To date it is unclear if such demanding training influences the incidence and intensity of painful overuse injuries The purpose of this study is to analyze anatomical painful regions and pain intensity in elite level rhythmic gymnasts (elRG) and compare results with an age-matched control group (CG) This prospective field study was carried out at the European Championship in RG 2013 (218 participating athletes, Vienna, Austria) Volunteering athletes were interviewed according to a preformed questionnaire As CG secondary school pupils without any competitive sports experience were analyzed accordingly Overall, 243 young females (144 elRG/66 % of all participants and 99 CG) were observed ElRGs were significantly (s) smaller, lighter, and had s stronger pain (p < 0001) A total of 72 % of athletes reported to have at least one painful body region compared with 52 % of CG (p < 0001) ElRG had nearly three times more serious injuries than the CG In all 23 % off all elRG reported to have had no access to professional medical care ElRGs were s more frequently (25 vs 9 %) affected at the lumbar spine and the ankle joint (174 vs 7 %) To our knowledge, this trial analyzes the largest cohort of elRG to date Hence, it is clearly alluded that intensive training in RG is a significant factor causing more and stronger pain than in a CG
7 citations
TL;DR: The Mézières method treatment performed on athletes with low back pain has caused positive effects on all the outcomes analyzed compared with the ones of control group.
Abstract: Context One of the main reasons why athletes with a high physical condition suffer from low back pain disease is because they often participate in sports that involve disc compression movements during flexion, lifting loads, or torsion movement. Objectives This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the postural treatment of the Mezieres method on elite rhythmic gymnastics athletes with low back pain. Design Double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Setting The sports hall of "Puente Tocinos," Murcia, Spain. Participants Ninety gymnastics athletes were randomized into 2 parallel groups (intervention: n = 39; control: n = 51), of whom 98.9% were women (women = 89; man = 1). Intervention The Mezieres method postural therapy was implemented. It lasted about 60 minutes in repeated sessions of 2 to 3 meetings per week by counting in overall 60 sessions during a 24-week period. Main outcome measures Visual analog scale of pain, sit and reach flexibility test, Runtastic (pedometer performance android application), Roland-Morris Questionnaire for the physical disability, and the Health Status Questionnaire were used. Results The univariate analysis of variance and independent sample t test revealed a significant improvement in the intervention group concerning the visual analog scale pain assessment scale (P 0.8) compared with the control one. The same situation persists even for Roland-Morris Questionnaire (P 0.8). Conclusion The Mezieres method treatment performed on athletes with low back pain has caused positive effects on all the outcomes analyzed compared with the ones of control group.
5 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors determine and compare the rate of use of body movement difficulties and elements with or without back band of the trunk or large hip extension of gymnasts who participated in a competition.
Abstract: The aim of this study is to determine and compare the rate of use of body movement difficulties and elements with or without back band of the trunk or large hip extension of gymnasts who participat...
4 citations
Cites background from "Injuries and training recommendatio..."
...The injuries to the spine are more commonly chronic or overuse injuries, and it has been reported that elite rhythmic gymnasts were affected by pain especially in the lumbar spine with incidence reports 72% (Sabeti et al., 2015), 80% (Zetaruk et al., 2006) or 86% (Hutchinson, 1999)....
[...]
...Furthermore, intensive trainings are potential risk factors for overuse injuries with many of the techniques requiring repetitive, ballistic, extreme hyperextension of the spine in rhythmic gymnasts (Zetaruk et al., 2006)....
[...]
...Progressive planning of the type, content and progression of training loads also relevant to minimise injury risk and optimise performance (Zetaruk et al., 2006)....
[...]
...Despite the risk of overload and injury in rhythmic gymnasts (Zetaruk et al., 2006), the new changes in rules may have increased this risk even more....
[...]
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the relationship between the technical penalties obtained in the execution of an isolated gymnastics element, the competitive level of the gymnasts, their anthropometric characteristics, and the most important temporal and angular variables analyzed in this skill.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between the following aspects: the technical penalties obtained in the execution of an isolated gymnastics element, the competitive level of the gymnasts, their anthropometric characteristics, and the most important temporal and angular variables analyzed in this skill. Twenty nine gymnasts (aged 17.1 ± 3.1 years) from different competition levels were selected. Three coaches evaluated the execution through an adaptation of the Code of Points. Significant direct and indirect associations were observed (p < 0.05): low adiposity index (rho = 0.643), take-off total time (rho = 0.619), flight total time (rho = - 0.596), maximum range of motion of the hips (rho = - 0.902), and maximum extension of ankles (rho = - 0.738). The assessment of penalties as well as the use of competitive level and Split Leap as specific tests, have demonstrated to be useful tools for evaluating performance. Key words: rhythmic gymnastics, photogrammetry, performance
3 citations
References
More filters
TL;DR: The relationship between the female athlete triad of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis, disorders that may lead to significant morbidity, and even to a high rate of mortality, is examined.
206 citations
TL;DR: It would appear that rhythmic gymnasts are at relative increased risk of suffering low back complaints secondary to their sport.
Abstract: HUTCHINSON, M. R. Low back pain in elite rhythmic gymnasts. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 11, pp. 1686–1688, 1999.Background:Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that blends the athleticism of a gymnast with the grace of a ballerina. The sport demands both the coordination of handling various appa
120 citations
TL;DR: The spectrum of overuse injuries in the child or adolescent athlete has only recently been recognized and can range from the permanent disability of osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow to the completely nonspecific "growing pains" of active youngsters.
114 citations
TL;DR: The spectrum of posterior element, vertebral injury in the young gymnast ranges from stress reaction to spondylolisthesis, and early recognition may lead to a more favorable clinical outcome.
108 citations
TL;DR: Persistent back pain beyond two weeks warrants a complete evaluation, careful history and physical examination, a four-view radiographic assessment of the spine, and, if necessary, bone scans or other more advanced techniques to make a specific diagnosis of the cause of the pain.
89 citations