3 Common Mistakes That Cause Athlete’s Injuries

According to Youth Sports Statistics, 66% of boys and 52% of girls between 5-18 years of age play organized sports. But statistically speaking, there is bound to be an injury somewhere down the line. Injuries are basically star-crossed risks that come with playing sports. After an athlete suffers an injury, usually they don’t nurse their injuries properly which causes a delayed or incomplete recovery and more time on the sidelines. This might be due to the athlete not knowing what to do, or getting a bad medical advice or treatment.

Some of the injuries are just going to happen, however some are preventable; which could exemplify the difference between a successful season and an injury-shortened season that leads to long-term issues. So here in this webcast, let us delve deeper into the reasons why these preventable injuries happen and what exactly can you do about it:

Not Warming Up Properly

Warming up in the physiological sense refers to the process of accruing the blood to flow to the muscles that are to be active in your pre-planned exercise routine. An increased blood flow to the muscles typifies an increase in the supply of oxygen to the tissues and the removal of carbon dioxide. The main highlight of warming up includes a surge in muscle temperature, which results in the separation of oxygen from hemoglobin, faster metabolic chemical reactions, and corresponds to effective cellular processes. The reduction in the viscosity of the muscles speeds up the nerve impulses that enable faster communication between the neurotransmitters. Moreover, a good dynamic warm-up will help you prevent injuries from happening like the muscle strains, ACL Tears, etc.

Not having a Sound Training Program

Coaches or athletic trainers are responsible of getting the athletes ready to train and enhance their speed, strength, power and endurance. Even the small deficits or imbalances can put the athletes at a lot of risk. So if you don’t have a trainer, you must make sure that you follow a proper training program, so that you don’t spend the sports season watching from the sidelines. A good strength and conditioning program is the one that is created by a qualified professional, not even an assistant coach who works out. You need to take legions of variables into consideration like season, goals, nutrition, correctives and host of others.

 

Inadequate Rest and Nutrition

Recent studies have shown that a planned scientific nutritional strategy comprising of fluid, carbohydrate, sodium, and caffeine compared with a self-chosen nutritional strategy helped non-elite athletes complete a marathon run faster. Nutrition is increasingly apprehended as a vital component of optimal sporting performance. Athletic performance pushes your body to the edge, so if you do not receive adequate nutrition from your diet, how can you even perform to the edge? Both training and competition yearn for large amounts of energy that you get from the carbohydrates, fats and proteins in your body. Therefore, to perform at a peak level of performance, you need to consume enough of these macronutrients from your diet. Nutritionists believe that complex carbohydrates that are stored in the muscles and liver are required by all the athletes to provide energy during exercise. Moreover, protein is also very essential for an athlete to help with muscle growth and repair body tissues. Athletes when deprived of a proper nutritional intake can become dehydrated, or might even suffer from glycogen depletion, inflammation or stress fractures. Remember, when an athlete is fatigued, chances of injury increases, and continues poor nutrition might lead to chronic conditions like iron deficiency or low bone mineral deficiency.

As you can see, nearly all the factors that can increase the likelihood of an athlete getting injured can be controlled and worked upon. A perfect amalgamation of proper warm-up, sound training program and adequate rest & nutrition can help athletes break their own records. So as an athlete, if you are going to put in the time to maximize your athletic performance, you must also put in the time to properly warm up and cool down your body.

 

About Author: Dr. Scott Gray

Dr. Scott Gray is an internationally recognized and expert physical therapist specializing in sport, athletic, and back and neck injuries. He is the inventor of a revolutionary form of treatment called the GRAY METHOD. This type of treatment unlike others, addresses the CAUSE rather than just your SYMPTOMS with a full body approach. For more information on how to ease or overcome your injury, go to www.backinmotionsspt.com.