Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

“I Lied A Little Bit.” A Qualitative Study Exploring The Perspectives Of Elite Australian Athletes On Self-Reported Data, Molly Coventry, Amanda Timler, Andrea B. Mosler, Kylie Russell, Mervyn Travers, Lauren Mitchell Oam, Myles C. Murphy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: Explore the perceptions and experiences of elite Australian athletes’ engagement with reporting data in surveillance systems. Design: Qualitative Descriptive. Setting: Semi-structured interviews conducted using Zoom. Participants: We recruited 13 elite Australian athletes competing at a national or international level for semi-structured interviews. Main outcome measures: Audio recordings were transcribed using DeScript, checked for errors and imported into QSR NVIVO. Thematic analysis using QSR NVIVO was used to determine key themes from transcripts. Results: Thematic analysis uncovered four key themes: ‘the paradox of reporting’, ‘data for data's sake’, ‘eyes on reporting’ and ‘athlete friendly reporting’. Conclusion: Athletes perceived reporting as …

Connective Adaptive Resistance Exercise (Care) Machines For Accentuated Eccentric And Eccentric-Only Exercise: Introduction To An Emerging Concept, James L. Nuzzo, Matheus Daros Pinto, Kazunori Nosaka

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Eccentric resistance exercise emphasizes active muscle lengthening against resistance. In the past 15 years, researchers and practitioners have expressed considerable interest in accentuated eccentric (i.e., eccentric overload) and eccentric-only resistance exercise as strategies for enhancing performance and preventing and rehabilitating injuries. However, delivery of eccentric resistance exercise has been challenging because of equipment limitations. Previously, we briefly introduced the concept of connected adaptive resistance exercise (CARE)—the integration of software and hardware to provide a resistance that adjusts in real time and in response to the individual’s volitional force within and between repetitions. The aim of the current paper is to …

Efficacy Of The Fifa 11+ Injury Prevention Program In Maine High School Soccer, Meg Lander

Honors College

The purpose of this thesis was to assess the efficacy of the FIFA 11+ injury prevention program when used over the course of one soccer season in Maine high school athletics when compared to a standard warm-up approach. Every year, nearly two million injuries are sustained by high school athletes, and the FIFA 11+ program was developed to mitigate the risk of lower body injuries in soccer players. It has been shown to reduce the incidence of injury by one third or more in teenage and older athletes. Participants were randomly allocated into the FIFA 11+ group and the control …

Injury Surveillance In Community Cricket: A New Inning For South Africa, Benita Olivier, Oluchukwu L. Obiora, Candice Macmillan, Caroline Finch

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Published injury rates amongst elite and club-level youth cricketers highlight the need to implement injury risk-reducing strategies amongst the youth cricketing population. Data from sports injury surveillance systems are a prerequisite for the development and evaluation of strategies to reduce injury risk. Therefore, collecting injury surveillance data is a positive move towards reducing injuries in cricket. In South Africa, a systematic, standardised, evidence-informed injury surveillance system currently does not exist for community levels of play, namely, in cricket-playing high schools and cricket clubs. Although injury surveillance systems exist at elite levels, the obvious differences in elite versus community cricket settings …

Association Between Pitch Break On The 4-Seam Fastball And Slider And Shoulder Injury In Major League Baseball Pitchers: A Case-Control Study, Brooks N. Platt, Anthony J. Zacharias, Caitlin Conley, Lindsay Hockensmith, Nicholas Stockwell, Aaron Sciascia, Austin V. Stone

Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Few specific risk factors are known for shoulder injury in professional pitchers. New pitch-tracking data allow for risk stratification based on advanced metrics.

Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between shoulder injury, pitch frequency, and pitch metrics (velocity, total break, break angle, and spin rate) for the 4-seam fastball, curveball, and slider. We hypothesized that more frequent use of the 4-seam fastball would be associated with shoulder injury.

Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: The Major League Baseball (MLB) database was queried for pitchers who had been placed on the injury …

A Nation-Wide Survey Of High School Baseball Coaches’ Perceptions Indicates Their Arm Care Programs Play A Role In Injury Prevention, Kyle A. Matsel, E. E. Weiss, R. J. Butler, Matthew C. Hoch, Philip M. Westgate, Terry R. Malone, Timothy L. Uhl

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background
Arm care programs consisting of upper extremity strengthening and stretching have been recommended for injury prevention for pitchers of all ages. There has been no investigation into high school baseball coaches’ usage and perceptions of arm care programs to mitigate physical impairments associated with injuries in baseball players.

Hypothesis/Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the current usage of arm care programs by high school baseball coaches. The primary objective was to determine if coaches use group-based or individualized arm care programs. The secondary objective sought to determine if the use of arm care programs is influenced …

Identifying Risk Factors Of Upper Extremity Injuries In Collegiate Baseball Players: A Pilot Study, Robert Slowik, Christopher Morris, Matthew C. Hoch, Timothy L. Uhl

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background
Repetitive pitching places tremendous forces on the shoulder and elbow which can lead to upper extremity (UE) or lower extremity (LE) overuse injuries.

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate pre-season physical measurements in collegiate baseball players and track in-season baseball throwing volume to determine which factors may predict throwing overuse injuries.

Study Design
Retrospective Cohort study.

Methods
Baseline preseason mobility, strength, endurance, and perception of function were measured in 17 collegiate baseball pitchers. Participants were then followed during the course of the season to collect rate of individual exposure, estimated pitch volume, and rating of perceived …

Sex And Age Comparisons In Neuromuscular And Biomechanical Characteristics Of The Knee In Young Athletes, Erin R. Pletcher, Travis J. Dekker, Scott M. Lephart, Tim C. Sell

Sports Medicine Research Institute Faculty Publications

Background: The identification of risk factors for injury is a key step for musculoskeletal injury prevention in youth sports. Not identifying and correcting for injury risk factors may result in lost opportunity for athletic development. Physical maturation and sex affect these characteristics, which may indicate the need for both age and sex-based injury prevention programs.

Hypothesis/Purpose: This study examined age and sex differences in knee strength, static balance, jump height, and lower extremity landing biomechanics in school- and high school-age athletes.

Study Design: Cross-sectional.

Methods: Forty healthy school aged (10.8±0.8 yrs) and forty high school (16.8±0.8 yrs) athletes completed isokinetic …

Concussion Experiences In New England Private Preparatory High School Students Who Played Sports Or Recreational Activities, Jill Daugherty, Dana Waltzman, Katherine P. Snedaker, Jason Bouton, Xinjian Zhang, David Wang

Athletic Training Faculty Publications

Background: Sports- and recreation-related (SRR) activities are a major cause of adolescent concussions. Most adolescent SRR concussion research has been conducted among public school students. As private schools are qualitatively different from public schools (eg, location, socioeconomic status, sports played), this study explores the concussion experiences of a large group of private high school students. Methods: We surveyed 2047 New England private preparatory high school students who played sports or engaged in a recreational activity in 2018 about the sports they played, and their self-reported concussion experiences (eg, age at first concussion, if concussions were sports- or recreation-related). Descriptive, bivariate, …

Neuromuscular Training Improves Lower Extremity Biomechanics Associated With Knee Injury During Landing In 11-13 Year Old Female Netball Athletes: A Randomized Control Study, Amanda J. Hopper, Erin Haff, Christopher Joyce, Rhodri S. Lloyd, G. Gregory Haff

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a neuromuscular training (NMT) program on lower-extremity biomechanics in youth female netball athletes. The hypothesis was that significant improvements would be found in landing biomechanics of the lower-extremities, commonly associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, following NMT. Twenty-three athletes (age = 12.2 ± 0.9 years; height = 1.63 ± 0.08 m; mass = 51.8 ± 8.5 kg) completed two testing sessions separated by 7-weeks and were randomly assigned to either a experimental or control group. Thirteen athletes underwent 6-weeks of NMT, while the remaining 10 served as controls …

A Six Stage Operational Framework For Individualising Injury Risk Management In Sport, Mark Roe, Shane Malone, Catherine Blake, Kieran Collins, Conor Gissane, Fionn Buttner, John C. Murphy, Eamonn Delahunt

Articles

Managing injury risk is important for maximising athlete availability and performance. Although athletes are inherently predisposed to musculoskeletal injuries by participating in sports, etiology models have illustrated how susceptibility is influenced by repeat interactions between the athlete (i.e. intrinsic factors) and environmental stimuli (i.e. extrinsic factors). Such models also reveal that the likelihood of an injury emerging across time is related to the interconnectedness of multiple factors cumulating in a pattern of either positive (i.e. increased fitness) or negative adaptation (i.e. injury).

Epidemiology Of Knee Sprains In Youth, High School, And Collegiate American Football Players, Daniel R. Clifton, James A. Onate, Eric Schussler, Aristarque Djoko, Thomas P. Dompier, Zachary Y. Kerr

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after injury is important. Differences in HRQOL between nonathletes and athletes and between injured and uninjured athletes have been demonstrated; however, the evidence has not been synthesized.

Objective: To answer the following questions: (1) Does HRQOL differ among adolescent and collegiate athletes and nonathletes? (2) Does HRQOL differ between injured adolescent and collegiate athletes or between athletes with a history of injury and uninjured athletes or those without a history of injury?

Data Sources: We systematically searched CINAHL, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, and PubMed. A hand search of references was also conducted. Study Selection: …

The Acute:Chonic Workload Ratio In Relation To Injury Risk In Professional Soccer, Shane Malone, Adam Owen, Matt Newton, Bruno Mendes, Kieran Collins, Tim Gabbett

Articles

Forty-eight professional soccer players (mean ± SD age of 25.3 ± 3.1 yr) from two elite European teams were involved within a one season study. Players completed a test of intermittent-aerobic capacity (Yo-YoIR1) to assess player’s injury risk in relation to intermittent aerobic capacity. Weekly workload measures and time loss injuries were recorded during the entire period. Rolling weekly sums and week-to-week changes in workload were measured, allowing for the calculation of the acute:chronic workload ratio, which was calculated by dividing the acute (1-weekly) and chronic (4-weekly) workloads. All derived workload measures were modelled against injury data using logistic regression. …

Effects Of Preventative Ankle Taping On Planned Change-Of-Direction And Reactive Agility Performance And Ankle Muscle Activity In Basketballers, Matthew D. Jeffriess, Adrian B. Schultz, Tye S. Mcgann, Samuel J. Callaghan, Robert G. Lockie

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study investigated the effects of preventative ankle taping on planned change-of-direction and reactive agility performance and peak ankle muscle activity in basketballers. Twenty male basketballers (age = 22.30 ± 3.97 years; height = 1.84 ± 0.09 meters; body mass = 85.96 ± 11.88 kilograms) with no ankle pathologies attended two testing sessions. Within each session, subjects completed six planned and six reactive randomized trials (three to the left and three to the right for each condition) of the Y-shaped agility test, which was recorded by timing lights. In one session, subjects had both ankles un-taped. In the other, both …

Is Participation In Certain Sports Associated With Knee Osteoarthritis? A Systematic Review, Jeffrey B. Driban, Jennifer M. Hootman, Michael R. Sitler, Kyle Harris, Nicole M. Cattano

Sports Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Feedback Inclusive Neuromuscular Training Program Alters Frontal Plane Kinematics, Eric K. Greska, Nelson Cortes, Bonnie L. Van Lunen, James A. Oñate

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

-Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) neuromuscular training programs have demonstrated beneficial effects in reducing ACL injuries, yet further evaluation of their effects on biomechanical measures across a sports team season is required to elucidate the specific factors that are modifiable. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 10-week off-season neuromuscular training program on lower extremity kinematics. Twelve Division I female soccer players (age: 19.2 ± 0.8 years, height: 1.67 ± 0.1 m, weight: 60.2 ± 6.5 kg) performed unanticipated dynamic trials of a running stop-jump task pretraining and posttraining. Data collection was performed using an 8-camera …

The Effectiveness Of Prophylactic Ankle Braces In Reducing The Incidence Of Acute Ankle Injuries In Adolescent Athletes: A Critically Appraised Topic, Kelley E. Farwell, Cameron J. Powden, Meaghan R. Powell, Cailee W. Mccarty, Matthew C. Hoch

Human Movement Sciences Faculty Publications

Clinical Scenario: Ankle injuries constitute a large number of injuries sustained by adolescent athletes participating in high school athletics. Prophylactic ankle bracing may be an effective and efficient method to reduce the incidence of ankle injuries in adolescent athletes in the secondary-school setting. Clinical Question: Do prophylactic ankle braces reduce the incidence of acute ankle injuries in adolescent athletes? Summary of Key Findings: Two of the three included studies reported that prophylactic ankle braces reduced the incidence of ankle injuries compared with no ankle bracing. Clinical Bottom Line: There is moderate evidence to support the use of prophylactic ankle braces …

Force Characteristics In Different Shoe Designs, Bryson Nakamura

Summer Research

Women’s shoes are known to be constructed from the same parameters as men’s shoes but on a smaller scale. However, foot and gait characteristics are different between genders The purpose of this study was to determine if mid-sole design has an effect on ground reaction force characteristics during running, cutting and jumping motions. Twenty-two apparently healthy female (73.8±8.4 kg; 1.74±0.06 m) and seven male (73.5±5.3 kg; 1.68±0.02 m) current or recently graduated NCAA Division III athletes voluntarily participated in this study. Subjects wore four shoes with different mid-sole designs while performing five different actions: running, cutting, shuffling, back cut and …

Gender-Based Analysis Of Hamstring And Quadriceps Muscle Activation During Jump Landings And Cutting, William Ebben, Mckenzie Fauth, Erich Petushek, Luke Garceau, Brittni Hsu, Brittney Lutsch, Christina Feldmann

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

This study evaluated gender differences in the magnitude and timing of hamstring and quadriceps activation during activities that are believed to cause anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Twelve men (age = 21.0 ± 1.2 years; body mass = 81.61 ± 13.3 kg; and jump height = 57.61 ± 10.15 cm) and 12 women (age = 19.91 ± 0.9 years; body mass = 64.36 ± 6.14 kg; and jump height = 43.28 ± 7.5) performed 3 repetitions each of the drop jump (jump) normalized to the subject's vertical jump height, and a sprint and cut at a 45-degree angle (cut). Electromyography …

Protecting Your Back: Weight Room Management, Peter J. Titlebaum, Gordon Rackley

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

Weight room supervision can be a formidable undertaking without the necessary preparations and precautions. Weight room supervisors are much like the Secret Service; that is, no matter what happens, if bad, it is the supervisor's fault. Risk management is more important now than at any point in history. The keys to preventing problems and creating an efficient weight room facility include a highly trained staff and a thoroughly detailed employee manual designed specifically for the weight room.

Safe At The Shoulder, Daniel Cipriani

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

The key to preventing shoulder injuries is understanding the anatomy of the shoulder complex and how the body's other muscles affect the throwing motion