Multidirectional Sports Shown to Prevent Stress Fractures in Young Athletes

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Stress injuries or fractures are small breaks in the bone, where a thin fissure develops due to repetitive force, caused by overuse. They usually occur in the foot and femur, are predominant in women, and constitute 1 to 20% of all sports injuries. Those who practice one-way sports such as athletics have a high incidence of stress fractures, while in sports such as basketball or football they are not as frequent.

According to a study published by a research group at Indiana University, where division I and II college runners were examined, it was found that athletes who ran and had participated in multidirectional sports (basketball or soccer) when they were younger, had better bone structure and strength than those who only ran. They swam or rode bicycles throughout their physical career.

The findings of the study led by Dr. Stuart Warden support the recommendation to delay specialization in one-way athletes and choose to play multidirectional sports during their childhood and adolescence for at least two years, to achieve optimal bone health and build a more robust skeleton, all with the goal of potentially reducing the risk of suffering bone injuries from stress. Previous research by Dr. Warden and colleagues shows that as a person develops, both bone mass and size are equally important and that leading an athlete to specialization at a very early stage can compromise later professional performance, running the risk of not reaching competitive college levels. In addition to being highly exposed to injury. 1. 2. 3.

Writing by Wendy López Romero, PhD

Research and Development Analyst at Drox Health Science. PhD in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Master in Molecular Biology. More than six years of experience in molecular biology, Immunology, Biochemistry and Proteomic, as well as in the development and validation of medical devices.

Sources:

Warden, Stuart J.1,2,3; Sventeckis, Austin M.1; Surowiec, Rachel K.2,4; Fuchs, Robyn K.1,2. Enhanced Bone Size, Microarchitecture, and Strength in Female Runners with a History of Playing Multidirectional Sports. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: August 6, 2022 - Volume - Issue - 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003016 doi: 10.1249/ MSS.0000000000003016

McSweeney, S. C., Grävare Silbernagel, K., Gruber, A. H., Heiderscheit, B. C., Krabak, B. J., Rauh, M. J., ... & Hollander, K. (2021). Adolescent running biomechanics-implications for injury prevention and rehabilitation. Frontiers in sports and active living, 230.

Tenforde AS, Sainani KL, Carter Sayres L, Milgrom C, Fredericson M. Participation in ball sports may represent a prehabilitation strategy to prevent future stress fractures and promote bone health in young athletes. PM R. 2015 Feb;7(2):222-5. doi: 10.1016/j. pmrj.2014.09.017. Epub 2014 Dec 9. PMID: 25499072.