Strength Training for Injury Prevention

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of a strength & conditioning (S & C) program on risk factors for injury (Y-balance and Functional Movement Screen scores), as well as parent reported injury occurrence in 12-16 year old male and female athletes. Forty girls and 40 boys aged 12-16 will be recruited; half will participate in supervised S & C sessions 2-3x/week while the other half will continue with their regular sports and activities. Risk factors for injury and performance indices (20 m sprint and multiple jump test) will be assessed before and after the 4 month study. Injury occurrence will be recorded via bi-weekly phone calls to the parent and athlete.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Wounds and Injuries
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Control; Behavioral: Strength & Conditioning

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 43
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 12 years to 16 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Athletes between 12 and 16 years of age, actively participating in organized sport

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any condition or injury that will place the athlete at risk during testing or training

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Strength & Conditioning; Supervised S & C program based on the Long Term Athlete Development Model. Participants will attend 2-3 sessions per week for about one hour each session for 4 months. The comprehensive program will include strength and power training as well as plyometrics, agility and flexibility exercises.	Behavioral: Strength & Conditioning
Active Comparator: Control; Athletes in the control group will continue with their usual sports and activities but will not receive any type of training.	Behavioral: Control

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Y-balance score	Using the Y Balance Test Kit (Functional Movement Systems, Inc., Chatham, Virginia), the athlete stands on one leg, hands on hips, while pushing a wooden block as far forward as possible with the opposite foot. The displacement of the block is recorded. The athlete is allowed 4 practice trials in each of the 3 test directions: anterior, posteromedial and posterolateral. Three test trials are then conducted for each leg in each direction, with short rest breaks between trials. The average reach distance for each leg for each direction will be normalized to leg length and used in analyses. This test has shown moderate to excellent reliability. Lower scores and asymmetries on the Y-balance test have been linked with an increased risk of injury.	4 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
20 metre sprint	Athletes will perform 3 trials of a 20 metre sprint, with their time at 10 m and 20 m recorded. Timing will be done using a photo-electric timing system (SmartSpeed Pro, Fusion Sports, Chicago, USA). Each subject will wear a radio-frequency identification (RFID) bracelet assigned at the Open House sign-in; this device will allow timing for the sprint test. The fastest of the 3 trials will be used in analysis.	4 months
Multiple Jump test	Athletes will perform 3 different types of jumps. For each of the jumps the athlete stands on a Smart Jump Mat (SmartJump, Fusion Sports, Chicago, USA), and holds a dowel across the shoulders, behind the head. A static jump requires the athlete to crouch down for a jump, pause at the bottom, and then jump as high as possible. A countermovement jump requires the athletes to crouch down and immediately jump back up for maximum height. Three submaximal practice trials of each jump will be done, followed by 3 test trials. The goal is maximum vertical jump, measured by time in the air. Then a series of elastic jumps, maximizing height but minimizing time on the mat, will be done for 60 seconds. The athletes will have a short, submaximal practice trial first. The jump tests will allow for a description of the athletes' power qualities, which are important for sport performance.	4 months
Functional Movement Screen score	The FMS is a series of 7 tests including deep squat, hurdle step, in-line lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight leg raise, trunk stability push-up, and rotary stability tests. The intent of the test is to screen athletes for the ability to complete functional activities that underlie more complex athletic skills. A low score on the FMS has been related to increased injury risk.	4 months
Self-reported injury rates	Injury rates will be recorded during the study period by asking parents to contact the researcher when an injury occurs. A research assistant will also make bi-weekly phone calls to the parents/athletes in the study to ask about injury occurrence to ensure all injuries are noted. The type of injury (acute or overuse), involved body part, and treatment received will be documented as reported by the parent. No health identification numbers will be collected or healthcare practitioners contacted.	4 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Manitoba
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Joanne Parsons, PhD, University of Manitoba

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 9, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 5, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 5, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): October 7, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 9, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 5, 2017
• Last Verified: October 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Wounds and Injuries
• Other Study ID Numbers: HS20030

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO