Preventing injuries

Gradual load, the acute-to-chronic ratio, structured warm-ups, eccentric strengthening, sleep and equipment.

The outline, topic by topic

Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.

Acute-to-chronic workload ratio: what is it?
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This week's load divided by the average load of the last four weeks.
Spikes above 1.5 come with more injuries.
A club wants to cut hamstring injuries in its sprinters. Which programme has the best evidence?
- Nordic-style eccentric strengthening
- Passive hamstring stretching before every run
- One week of complete rest each month
- More cushioned shoes
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Nordic-style eccentric strengthening
Eccentric work prepares the muscle to brake while lengthening.
Training-injury prevention paradox: what is it?
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A high load reached gradually protects against injury.
Spikes injure, not load itself.
Why can a high load protect?
- It tires tissues less than a light, repeated load
- Reached gradually, it makes tissues more resilient
- It replaces the warm-up before hard sessions
- On its own, it prevents any load spike
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Reached gradually, it makes tissues more resilient
Tissues adapt to what is asked of them gradually.