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Return to Sport: Running Injuries in Student-Athletes: Summary
REHABILITATION AND PREVENTION Reduce Training Errors In young athletes, it is important to discourage sports specialization and encourage multidirectional sport participation to improve bone health and reduce risk of injuries. Running, specifically, should be limited to 8–10 months per year to promote safety and reduce risk of injury. One day per week should consist of a rest day where there is no running in addition to having variability in running volume and intensity (hill running, speed training) throughout the week. It can be helpful to only change one variable per week (mileage, speed, or intensity) to reduce risk of over stressing the body. For athletes competing in back-to-back seasons (such as cross country and track), they should have at least a one-week rest period between seasons with no running. To promote bone health, some form of weight training and/or cross training should be implemented, especially in youth athletes. Running volume will vary based on age. In younger athletes (K-2nd grade) running should be limited to about ½ mile to 1 mile per day. As a child gets older (3rd–5th grade) they should be able to run up
to a 5k. Around middle school age, if a child is internally motivated and follows a proper training program, it is appropriate for youth athletes to begin running further distances (10k, half, or full marathons) without medical intervention. As training increases, it is important to monitor for height, weight, menstrual cycles, and sleep hygiene. Strength Training Strength training can not only reduce risk of injury but also improve running times. Proper supervision is necessary for youth athletes (high school athletes should have 1:15 coach to athlete ratio).
LEARNING TIP! Strength should be progressed gradually, up to 1–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions for 2–3 days per week.
Plyometrics should also be included for proper bone load and prepare the athlete for running. This can include box jumps, hopping for distance, stair taps, and so on.
Train Running Form Running form should be globally assessed with cuing necessary to improve improper mechanics (e.g., limiting excessive rearfoot strike or cross- over step pattern). External cuing can be more helpful than internal cues and should be reduced
over time. Changing a runners’ cadence to 165– 180 can help with reducing ground reaction force, braking force, and patellofemoral stress, and decrease demand on the hip abductors.
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