Reducing the Risk of Sport Injuries OCR Cambridge National in SPORT SCIENCE (Level 1 / 2) R041 Reducing the Risk of Sport Injuries

What is a sports injury? “Sports injuries result from acute trauma or repetitive stress associated with athletic activities. Sports injuries can affect bones or soft tissue (ligaments, muscles, tendons).” http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Sports+injuries

Sports injury statistics There are over 22 million injuries a year and the number is climbing. During the 2008/2009 Guinness Premiership Rugby season there were 769 recorded injuries, an average of 2 injuries per club per match. This was a 22% increase from the 2007/2008 season.

Influencing the risk of injury There are many factors which could increase the risk of sports injury. They include: Fatigue Poor coaching Weather Unsuitable equipment Motivation What are the specific factors for your favourite sport?

Warm up – Cool down What are the effects of the right kind of warm up and cool down on performance? Cool down Warm up Gets the body ready for physical activity Helps body to transition to resting state Aids muscle recovery Increased motivation Improved focus

Hundreds of private clinics and consultancies Treatment There is a lot of support in the UK committed to the treatment of sports injuries: Hundreds of private clinics and consultancies Government funded web pages and campaigns through the NHS to increase awareness of sports injury prevention and treatment.

Other risks It’s not only injury that can affect participation in sport but also a range of common medical conditions as well. Suffering from any of these medical conditions doesn’t stop you from participating in sport, but symptoms can be triggered by exercise. Did you know… David Beckham and Paula Radcliffe have asthma? Dai Greene has epilepsy? Sir Steve Redgrave and Wasim Akram have diabetes? Would you know what to do if one of your team mates had an asthma attack during a game of football?

You will learn… Common medical conditions which may affect performance and participation in sport Extrinsic and intrinsic factors that can influence injury in sport The benefits and components of warm ups and cool downs Common types of sports injuries and how to treat them

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