School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.
Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
Sports Health. 2020 Jan/Feb;12(1):36-42. doi: 10.1177/1941738119886855. Epub 2019 Nov 14.
Significant evidence has emerged that sport specialization is associated with an increased risk of overuse injury in youth athletes. Several recommendations exist to reduce the risk of overuse injury in youth sports, but the risk of overuse injuries may be dependent on specific movements required by a given sport.
Associations between specialized sport participation and overuse injury will exist in volleyball athletes but not soccer or basketball athletes. Female athletes will be more likely to report an overuse injury in the previous year, regardless of sport.
Cross-sectional study.
Level 3.
Youth athletes between the ages of 12 and 18 years were recruited in-person at club team tournaments, competitions, and events around the state of Wisconsin during the 2016-2017 school year. Participants were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire that consisted of (1) participant demographics, (2) sport specialization status, (3) monthly and weekly sport volume, and (4) sport-related injury history in the previous year.
A total of 716 youth athletes completed the questionnaire (70.8% female; mean age, 14.21 ± 1.50 years; 43.2% basketball, 19.4% soccer, 37.4% volleyball; 41.8% highly specialized; 32.3% reported overuse injury in the previous year). Sex was associated with overuse injury among basketball athletes, with female basketball athletes nearly 4 times more likely to report an overuse injury compared with male basketball athletes (odds ratio, [OR], 3.7; 95% CI, 2.1-6.6; < 0.001). High specialization (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1-4.9; = 0.02) and participating in a single sport for more than 8 months per year (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.5; < 0.05) were associated with overuse injury only among volleyball athletes.
Specialization and exceeding 8 months per year in a single sport was associated with overuse injury in volleyball, which is one of the most popular youth sports for female athletes. Specialization was not associated with overuse injury in basketball or soccer athletes. Female basketball athletes were nearly 4 times more likely to report a history of overuse injury compared with male basketball athletes. The sex of a youth athlete and the sport that he or she plays may influence the risk of overuse injury associated with sport specialization.
Youth athletes, parents, and clinicians should be aware that the potential risks of specialization might vary based on the athlete's sport and sex.
有大量证据表明，专项运动与青少年运动员过度使用损伤的风险增加有关。有几项建议可以降低青少年运动中过度使用损伤的风险，但过度使用损伤的风险可能取决于特定运动所要求的特定动作。
在排球运动员中，专项运动参与和过度使用损伤之间存在关联，但在足球或篮球运动员中不存在这种关联。女性运动员无论参加何种运动，在过去一年中更有可能报告过度使用损伤。
横断面研究。
3 级。
在 2016-2017 学年期间，在威斯康星州各地的俱乐部团队锦标赛、比赛和活动中，以面对面的方式招募 12 至 18 岁的青少年运动员。参与者被要求完成一份匿名问卷，其中包括（1）参与者人口统计学资料，（2）专项运动状态，（3）每月和每周运动量，以及（4）过去一年的运动相关损伤史。
共有 716 名青少年运动员完成了问卷（70.8%为女性；平均年龄 14.21±1.50 岁；43.2%为篮球，19.4%为足球，37.4%为排球；41.8%高度专项化；32.3%报告过去一年中有过度使用损伤）。性别与篮球运动员的过度使用损伤有关，与男性篮球运动员相比，女性篮球运动员报告过度使用损伤的可能性几乎高出 4 倍（比值比 [OR]，3.7；95%置信区间 [CI]，2.1-6.6；<0.001）。高度专项化（OR，2.3；95%CI，1.1-4.9；=0.02）和每年从事单一运动超过 8 个月（OR，2.0；95%CI，1.1-3.5；<0.05）与排球运动员的过度使用损伤有关。
专项化和每年从事单一运动超过 8 个月与排球运动员的过度使用损伤有关，排球是女性青少年运动员最受欢迎的运动之一。专项化与篮球或足球运动员的过度使用损伤无关。与男性篮球运动员相比，女性篮球运动员报告过度使用损伤的可能性几乎高出 4 倍。青少年运动员的性别和所从事的运动可能会影响与专项化相关的过度使用损伤的风险。
青少年运动员、家长和临床医生应该意识到，专业化的潜在风险可能因运动员的运动项目和性别而异。
