Elena Pocecco

Injuries in judo: a systematic literature review including suggestions for prevention

Background There is limited knowledge on epidemiological injury data in judo. Objective To systematically review scientific literature on the frequency and characteristics of injuries in judo. Methods The available literature up to June 2013 was searched for prospective as well as retrospective studies on injuries in judo. Data extraction and presentation focused on the incidence rate, injury risk, types, location and causes of injuries. Results During the Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012, an average injury risk of about 11–12% has been observed. Sprains, strains and contusions, usually of the knee, shoulder and fingers, were the most frequently reported injuries, whereas being thrown was the most common injury mechanism. Severe injuries were quite rare and usually affected the brain and spine, whereas chronic injuries typically affected the finger joints, lower back and ears. The most common types of injuries in young judo athletes were contusions/abrasions, fractures and sprains/strains. Sex-differences data on judo injuries were mostly inconsistent. Some studies suggested a relationship between nutrition, hydration and/or weight cycling and judo injuries. Also, psychological factors may increase the risk of judo injuries. Conclusions The present review provides the latest knowledge on the frequency and characteristics of injuries in judo. Comprehensive knowledge about the risk of injury during sport activity and related risk factors represents an essential basis to develop effective strategies for injury prevention. Thus, the introduction of an ongoing injury surveillance system in judo is of utmost importance.

Factors associated with self-reported risk-taking behaviour on ski slopes

Background In recent years, discussions have arisen about the potential influence of wearing a ski helmet on an increasing level of risk taking and higher speeds on ski slopes. Objective To evaluate factors associated with selfreported risk-taking behaviour in recreational skiers and snowboarders. Methods Speeds of skiers and snowboarders were measured with a radar speed gun and sex, age, nationality, height, weight and helmet use, used type of gear, self-estimated skill level and self-estimated fitness level were recorded. In addition, participants were asked if they considered themselves as cautious or risk-taking skier or snowboarder. Results In total, 453 skiers (39.6 (14.8) years) and 74 snowboarders (26.4 (9.6) years) have been interviewed. A stepwise forward logistic regression model revealed five independent factors for a risk-taking behaviour on slopes. Adjusted OR and their 95% CI showed that risk takers were <40 years (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.51 to 3.80), had a higher skill level (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.25 to 3.50), were more likely males (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.26), had a lower body mass index (22.8 vs 24.2) and skied with higher speeds (on average 53 vs 45 km/h) compared to cautious skiers. Conclusion Risk-taking behaviour on ski slopes is associated with younger age, higher skiing ability, male sex, lower body mass index and on average higher speeds. Helmet use is not associated with riskier behaviour on slopes. In addition, helmet use has to be recommended because helmet use reduces the risk of head injuries among skiers and snowboarders.

Are oral contraceptive use and menstrual cycle phase related to anterior cruciate ligament injury risk in female recreational skiers

Oral contraceptive use and menstrual cycle phase are suggested to influence the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in female athletes. However, only few data are available for recreational sports. Therefore, female recreational skiers with a non-contact ACL injury and age-matched controls completed a self-reported questionnaire relating to menstrual history, oral contraceptive use and previous knee injuries. Menstrual history data were used to group subjects into either preovulatory or postovulatory phases of menstrual cycle. Our findings suggest that oral contraceptive use did not show any protective effect against ACL injuries nor did self-reported previous knee injuries show any association with ACL injury rate in recreational alpine skiing. Analysis of menstrual history data revealed that recreational skiers in the preovulatory phase were significantly more likely to sustain an ACL injury than were skiers in the postovulatory phase.

Sport injuries and illnesses during the first Winter Youth Olympic Games 2012 in Innsbruck, Austria

Background Data on the injury and illness risk among young elite athletes are of utmost importance, because injuries and illnesses can counter the beneficial effects of sports participation at a young age, if children or adolescents are unable to continue to participate because of residual effects of injury or chronic illness. Objective To analyse the frequencies and characteristics of injuries and illnesses during the 2012 Innsbruck Winter Youth Olympic Games (IYOG). Methods We employed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) injury surveillance system for multisport events, which was updated for the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver 2010. All National Olympic Committees (NOCs) were asked to report the daily occurrence (or non-occurrence) of newly sustained injuries and illnesses on a standardised reporting form. In addition, information on athletes treated for injuries and illnesses by the Local Organizing Committee medical services was retrieved from the medical centre at the Youth Olympic Village and from the University hospital in Innsbruck. Results Among the 1021 registered athletes (45% women, 55% men) from 69 NOCs, a total of 111 injuries and 86 illnesses, during the IYOG, were reported, resulting in an incidence of 108.7 injuries and 84.2 illnesses per 1000 registered athletes, respectively. Injury frequency was highest in skiing in the halfpipe (44%) and snowboarding (halfpipe and slope style: 35%), followed by ski cross (17%), ice hockey (15%), alpine skiing (14%) and figure skating (12%), taking into account the respective number of participating athletes. Knee, pelvis, head, lower back and shoulders were the most common injury locations. About 60% of injuries occurred in competition and about 40% in training, respectively. In total, 32% of the injuries resulted in an absence from training or competition. With regard to illnesses, 11% of women and 6% of men suffered from an illness (RR=1.84 (95% CI 1.21 to 2.78), p=0.003). The respiratory system was affected most often (61%). Conclusions Eleven per cent of the athletes suffered from an injury and 9% from illnesses, during the IYOG. The presented data constitute the basis for future analyses of injury mechanisms and associated risk factors in Olympic Winter sports, which, in turn, will be essential to develop and implement effective preventive strategies for young elite winter-sport athletes.

Who is Wearing a Ski Helmet? Helmet Use on Austrian Ski Slopes Depending on Various Factors

Objective of this study was to evaluate the actual helmet use on Austrian ski slopes depending on various factors as gender, age, and nationality, used type of gear, skiing ability and risk taking behaviour on slopes. In total, 63% of all observed subjects used ski helmets. However, significant differences have been found with regard to age, nationality, and skiing ability. While 78% of participants younger than 20 years used helmets, only 53% of those over 60 years were wearing ski helmets. Helmet use was significantly higher in locals compared to foreigners (75 vs. 52%) and in more skilled skiers compared to less skilled skiers (67 vs. 47%). No significant differences have been found with regard to gender, used type of gear, and risk taking behaviour. Thus, future helmet campaigns should also be aimed at older people, ski guest from other nations, and less skilled skiers.

Specific exercise testing in judo athletes

Background All-out exercise tests lasting the duration of a judo match, i.e., 5 minutes, regarding arm and leg performance have barely been introduced. We hypothesised that, besides body composition, arm and leg performance, derived from 5 minutes lasting all-out ergometric tests, would be of importance for success in judo competitions. Material/Methods: The groups investigated consisted of eight juvenile (15.3±0.9 years) and six adult (25.2±4.9 years) male Austrian judokas of different ranks. In addition to body composition, power output and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) were determined during 5-min all-out tests on an arm crank and a cycle ergometer. Results: Relative VO2peak during cranking was about 18% higher in juvenile than in adult men (35.5±4.3 ml∙kg–1∙min–1 vs. 30.0±3.5 ml∙kg–1∙min–1, p≤0.05). However, neither body composition nor arm and leg performance was related to competition success in juvenile judo athletes. In contrast, in adult judokas percentage of body fat (r=–0.83) and relative maximum arm power (r=0.83) were both related to competition rank (p≤0.05). Conclusions: As these results indicate age-related differences in the assessed determinants of success for judo competition performance, they may have practical importance and should be considered in planning the training for male judo athletes of different age classes.

Sports injuries and illnesses during the 2015 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival

Background The prevention of injury and illness remains an important issue among young elite athletes. Systematic surveillance of injuries and illnesses during multi-sport events might provide a valuable basis to develop preventive measures, focusing especially on adequate information for youth athletes. Aim To analyse the frequencies and characteristics of injuries and illnesses during the 2015 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (W-EYOF). Methods All National Olympic Committees were asked to report daily the occurrence or non-occurrence of newly sustained injuries and illnesses on a standardised reporting form. Results Among the 899 registered athletes (37% female) with a mean age of 17.1±0.8 years, a total of 38 injuries and 34 illnesses during the 5 competition days of the W-EYOF were reported, resulting in an incidence of 42.3 injuries and 37.8 illnesses per 1000 athletes, respectively. Injury frequency was highest in snowboard cross (11%), Nordic combined (9%), alpine skiing (6%), and ice hockey (6%), taking into account the respective number of registered athletes. In snowboard cross, females showed a significant higher injury frequency compared to males (22% vs 4%, p=0.033). The lower back (16%), the pelvis (13%), the knee (11%), and the face (11%) were the most common injury locations. About 58% of injuries occurred in competition and about 42% in training. In total, 42% of injuries resulted in an absence of training or competition. The prevalence of illness was highest in figure skating (10%) and Nordic combined (9%), and the respiratory system was affected most often (53%). Conclusions Four per cent of the athletes suffered from an injury and 4% from illnesses during the 2015 W-EYOF, which is about twofold lower compared to the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012.

AEROBIC POWER IN CHILD, CADET AND SENIOR JUDO ATHLETES

The aim of the present study was to compare performance and physiological responses during arm and leg aerobic power tests of combat duration in male child, cadet and senior judo athletes. Power output and physiological parameters, i.e., peak oxygen uptake ( · VO2peak), peak ventilation, peak heart rate, lactate, and rate of perceived exertion, of 7 child (under 15 years: age class U15, 12.7 ± 1.1 yrs), 10 cadet (U17, 14.9 ± 0.7 yrs) and 8 senior (+20, 29.3 ± 9.2 yrs) male judo athletes were assessed during incremental tests of combat duration on an arm crank and a cycle ergometer. Children as well as cadets demonstrated higher upper body relative VO2peak than seniors (37.3 ± 4.9, 39.2 ± 5.0 and 31.0 ± 2.1 ml·kg -1 ·min -1 , respectively); moreover, upper and lower body relative VO2peak decreased with increasing age (r = -0.575, p < 0.003 and r = -0.580, p < 0.002, respectively). Children showed lower blood lactate concentrations after cranking as well as after cycling when compared to seniors (7.8 ± 2.4 vs. 11.4 ± 2.1 mmol·l -1 and 7.9 ± 3.0 vs. 12.0 ± 1.9 mmol·l -1 , respectively); furthermore, blood lactate values after cranking increased with age (r = 0.473, p < 0.017). These differences should be considered in planning the training for judo athletes of different age classes.

Influence of adult role modeling on child/adolescent helmet use in recreational sledging: an observational study.

SummaryBackgroundDuring recreational sledging (tobogganing), the head represents the most frequent injured body region with approximately one-third of all sledging injuries among children and adolescents. Whether children are wearing a helmet or not might be influenced on parental encouragement and role modeling of helmet use. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of adult helmet use on child/adolescent helmet use in recreational sledging.MethodsMore than 500 adults sitting together with another adult or child/adolescent on a two-seater sledge were interviewed during two winter seasons at the bottom of six sledging tracks on demographics, mean frequency of sledging per season, self-estimated skill level, risk-taking behavior, and the use of a helmet.ResultsTotal helmet use of all observed persons was 41.0 %. Helmet use among interviewed adults significantly increased with increasing age up to 45 years, frequency of sledging, and skill level, respectively. Helmet use of interviewed adults was 46.5 % if a child/adolescent was sitting on the same sledge and 29.8 % (odds ratios (OR): 2.1, 95 % confidence intervals (CI): 1.4–2.9, p < 0.001) when sledging together with another adult. Helmet use was 71.3 % among children/adolescents and 26.7 % among adults (OR: 6.8, 95 % CI: 4.6–10.1, p < 0.001) sitting on the same sledge as the interviewed person, respectively.ConclusionAdults were wearing more often a helmet during recreational sledging when sitting together with a child/adolescent on the sledge. However, helmet use during sledging is clearly below 50 %. Thus, more intense educational campaigns on helmet use are urgently needed for tobogganists.

[Frequencies of injuries and causes of accidents during ski touring on ski slopes - a pilot study].

INTRODUCTION Ski touring along ski slopes (slope touring) increased in recent years on Austrian ski slopes. However, ascending on the border of the slope and skiing downhill on the slope might be associated with a certain injury risk. Thus, the aim of this pilot study was to evaluate frequencies of injuries, causes of accidents and potential risk factors during slope touring. METHODS Slope-tourers were interviewed from March to April 2014 at the bottom of 4 Austrian ski areas. Interviews were conducted during the week and at the weekend from 7.30 a. m. to 8.45 p. m. RESULTS A total of 451 slope-tourers (60.1 % males) with a mean age of 39.3 ± 14.4 years were interviewed. Interviewed persons reported that they perform about 20.6 ± 16.0 slope tours per season mainly with a partner (48 %) and during the day (51 %). Ski helmet use was 60 %. A total of 57 persons (12.6 %) reported that they suffered at least once from an injury during slope touring needing medical care. This corresponds to a rate of 6 injuries per 1000 slope tours. Main injury causes were a fall (78 %) and a collision with another person (15 %) and the main injured body part was the knee (36 %). Slope-tourers with an injury were wearing more often back protectors, and were falling more often during downhill skiing, and were abstaining less often from alcohol and were listening more often to music during downhill skiing compared to slope-tourers without an injury. CONCLUSION Based on the findings of this pilot study we recommend abstaining from alcohol and not listening to music during downhill skiing to reduce the injury risk during slope touring.