Injury prevention

Question 1

What are the 5 ways of preventing injury?

Answer 1

1. Screening
2. Taping & Bracing
3. Warm up
4. Flexibility training
5. Protective equipment

Question 2

What is screening used for?

Answer 2

Used to identify risks in a performer.
- Strength of muscles.
- Muscle imbalance.
- Flexibility
- Cardiac functioning (CRY- Cardiac risk in the young, Craig heart strong etc.).

Question 3

What happens if potential weaknesses are found?

Answer 3

• If potential weaknesses are found, training programs can be implemented to reduce the risk.
• Strength and conditioning (can create mesocycles- in preparation phase)= link in SPORR.

Question 4

A03: What are the disadvantages of screening?

Answer 4

• May lead to performer anxiety if a performer finds out they are susceptible to injury.
• The performer may be more cautious, therefore technique decreases + overall leads to more chance of injury.

Question 5

Examples of protective equipment

Answer 5

Football= Shin pads.
Rugby= Scrum hat, gum shield.
Hockey= gum shield, short corner helmet.
Cricket= helmet.

• Equipment must fit and meet NGB regulations- they are constantly changing.

Question 6

Warm up: pulse raiser

Answer 6

Pulse raiser
- Increase in muscle temperature and enzyme activity (and the synovial fluid in the joints).

Question 7

Warm up: Stretching

Answer 7

Blood temperature increases, therefore muscles are more pliable and more stretchy.
- Stretching prevents acute strains and muscular strains.

Question 8

Warm up: Sport specific exercises

Answer 8

• Focus on techniques= running through high injury risk techniques.

Question 9

Physiological effects of a warm up

Answer 9

1. Muscle temp increases:
   - Increased enzyme activity.
   - Increased disassociation of O2 from haemoglobin.
2. Increased flexibility.
3. Reduces chance of injury to muscle as it becomes more elastic.

Question 10

Flexibility training

Answer 10

• Makes the muscles more pliable and less likely to strain or sprain.
• This training should involve the joints used in the activity (specificity).

Static stretching= a stretched is held in a stationary position.

Ballistic stretching= stretching the muscle whilst moving, mimics the sporting environment.

Question 11

Taping

Answer 11

• Involves taping a weak joint to add support and stability.
• A more flexible tape can also be used to add support to muscles.
• The tape creates another connective tissue.

Question 12

Bracing

Answer 12

• A much more substantial form of taping.
• It involves a hinged brace usually used on the knee/ ankle.
• More severe tear/ break.

Question 13

A03: Taping & Bracing

Answer 13

Psychologically:
- Reduction of anxiety= link to the Inverted U theory of arousal.
- May help performer to remain in the ZOF during performance- increasing their technique and accuracy.

Question 14

Diet/ fluid intake

Answer 14

Dehydration= drowsy + lethargic= leads to injury.
- Increase fluid intake to prevent dehydration.
- Consume foods that have a low glycaemic index to increased energy stores and prevent fatigue, which may decrease technique and increase the likelihood of an injury.