Over the years overuse injuries have become a popular topic, specifically when discussing youth sports and the running population. Research studies vary widely from 19% – 74% in regards to occurrence of an overuse injury in runners.
When discussing risk reduction of overuse injuries it is important to talk about two very Modifiable factors: Training Load and Resistance Training.
Training load: Training load is a general definition of the product of workout intensity and volume. Typically this is measured out over a period of time such as a week. There are numerous ways to monitor excessive training load. Some options include HR monitoring, rating of perceived exertion, and performance testing once a training block has concluded.
In regard to overuse injury mitigation, variability and rest are KEY. Variability could come in a variety of ways including workout splits, type of exercise, and overall intensity. Rest is often an overlooked and underappreciated part in maintenance of a healthy training program. Healthy sleep cycles and days off to recover built in to the program are important when discussing injury reduction.
Resistance training: When dealing with specific populations, such as runners or year round sports specific athletes, variable resistance training is paramount. Research shows strength training programs reduce sports injuries by an average of 66%. Additionally, with 95% certainty, they were able to more than halve the risk of sports injury. Multiple reasons for reduction of injury risk include tissue conditioning, training variation, and focusing on proper technique.
Hopefully, you already mix up your workouts and training programs to include resistance training and adequate rest. If not, we hope this information convinces you of the importance to reduce overuse injury risk.
