Injuries and Rapid Weight Loss in Elite Adolescent Taekwondo Athletes: A Korean Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Objectives To report injury patterns associated with training activities of elite adolescent Taekwondo athletes who are expected to represent South Korea in the future.

Methods Beginning in 2019, we prospectively collected data on elite adolescent Taekwondo athletes at the Korean Training Center. The athletes were assessed by sports medicine doctors, and data were stratified according to sex, weight class, injury location, injuries during the weight loss period, and weight loss method. We used χ² tests were used to compare groups. Injury rates were expressed as Poisson rates with 95% confidence intervals.

Results There were 117 male and 102 female elite adolescent Taekwondo athletes. The mean weight loss among athletes was 3.37 (±1.23) kg, and the mean duration of weight loss was 7.53 (±3.40) days. In general, all athletes used similar weight loss methods. We recorded 846 injuries (annual average, 3.98 injuries/athlete). In general, female athletes had higher injury rates than their male counterparts. Additionally, the athletes had significantly higher injury rates during weight loss periods than during other periods of training. When all athletes were considered, most injuries occurred in the lower extremities (63.2%), followed by the trunk (14.2%), upper extremities (16.3%), and the head and neck area (6.3%). The injury severity significantly influenced the body regions in weight categories.

Conclusion Rapid weight loss is related to the incidence of sports damage in athletes. Most injuries occur during weight loss periods in South Korean elite adolescent Taekwondo athletes. Moreover, the injury rate and injury severity depends on weight class.

Zusammenfassung

Ziele Genaue Darstellung von Verletzungsmustern bei Trainingsaktivitäten von jugendlichen Taekwondo-Elitesportlern, die bei zukünftigen Wettkämpfen Südkorea vertreten sollen.

Methoden Ab 2019 sammelten wir im Koreanischen Trainingszentrum prospektiv Daten über jugendliche Taekwondo-Eliteathleten. Die Athleten wurden von Sportmedizinern beurteilt, und die Daten wurden nach Geschlecht, Gewichtsklasse, Ort der Verletzung, Verletzungen während der Gewichtsabnahme und der Gewichtsabnahme-Methode stratifiziert. Zum Vergleich der Gruppen wurden χ2-Tests verwendet. Die Verletzungsraten wurden als Poisson-Raten mit 95% Konfidenzintervallen ausgedrückt.

Ergebnisse 117 männliche und 102 weibliche jugendliche Taekwondo-Eliteathleten nahmen an der Studie teil. Die durchschnittliche Gewichtsabnahme unter den Athleten betrug 3,37 (±1,23) kg, und die durchschnittliche Dauer der Gewichtsabnahme betrug 7,53 (±3,40) Tage. Generell verwendeten alle Athleten ähnliche Methoden zur Gewichtsabnahme. Wir verzeichneten 846 Verletzungen (Jahresdurchschnitt: 3,98 Verletzungen/Sportler). Im Allgemeinen hatten Athletinnen höhere Verletzungsraten als ihre männlichen Kollegen. Während der Gewichtsabnahme wurde bei den Athleten zudem eine signifikant höhere Verletzungsrate als während anderer Trainingsperioden festgestellt. Bei Berücksichtigung aller Athleten traten die meisten Verletzungen an den unteren Extremitäten auf (63,2%), gefolgt von Rumpf (14,2%), den oberen Extremitäten (16,3%) und dem Kopf- und Nackenbereich (6,3%). Das Ausmaß der Verletzung beeinflusste die Körperregionen in den Gewichtskategorien signifikant.

Schlussfolgerung Rasche Gewichtsabnahme steht in Zusammenhang mit der Inzidenz von Sportschäden bei Athleten. Die meisten Verletzungen treten bei südkoreanischen jugendlichen Taekwondo-Eliteathleten während der Gewichtsabnahme auf. Darüber hinaus hängen die Verletzungsrate und der Verletzungsschweregrad von der Gewichtsklasse ab.

Key words

adolescent Taekwondo - injury - South Korea - epidemiology - rapid weight loss

Schlüsselwörter

jugendliche Taekwondokämpfer - Verletzung - Südkorea - Epidemiologie - schnelle Gewichtsabnahme

Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 22. Juli 2020

Angenommen: 22. Juli 2020

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
04. September 2020

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