FOOTBALL INJURY PREVENTION

Football is one of the most popular sports played by young athletes, and it leads all other sports in the number of injuries sustained. In 2007, more than 920,000 athletes under the age of 18 were treated in emergency rooms, doctors' offices, and clinics for football-related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
 

WHAT TYPES OF INJURIES ARE MOST COMMON IN FOOTBALL?

Injuries occur during football games and practice due to the combination of high speeds and full contact. While overuse injuries can occur, traumatic injuries such as concussions are most common. The force applied to either bringing an opponent to the ground or resisting being brought to the ground makes football players prone to injury anywhere on their bodies, regardless of protective equipment. 
 

COMMON INJURIES IN FOOTBALL PLAYERS

Traumatic Injuries

Knee injuries in football are the most common, especially those to the anterior or posterior cruciate ligament (ACL/PCL) and to the menisci (cartilage of the knee). These knee injuries can adversely affect a player's longterm involvement in the sport. Football players also have a higher chance of ankle sprains due to the surfaces played on and cutting motions.

Shoulder injuries are also quite common and the labrum (cartilage bumper surrounding the socket part of the shoulder) is particularly susceptible to injury, especially in offensive and defensive linemen. In addition, injuries to the acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) or shoulder are seen in football players.

Concussions

Football players are very susceptible to concussions. A concussion is a change in mental state due to a traumatic impact. Not all those who suffer a concussion will lose consciousness. Some signs that a concussion has been sustained are headache, dizziness, nausea, loss of balance, drowsiness, numbness/tingling, difficulty concentrating, and blurry vision. The athlete should return to play only when clearance is granted by a health care professional.

Overuse Injuries

Low-back pain, or back pain in general, is a fairly common complaint in football players due to overuse. Overuse can also lead to overtraining syndrome, when a player trains beyond the ability for the body to recover. Patellar tendinitis (knee pain) is a common problem that football players develop and can usually be treated by a quadriceps strengthening program.

Heat Injuries

Heat injuries are a major concern for youth football players, especially at the start of training camp. This usually occurs in August when some of the highest temperatures and humidity of the year occur. Intense physical activity can result in excessive sweating that depletes the body of salt and water.

The earliest symptoms are painful cramping of major muscle groups. However, if not treated with body cooling and fluid replacement, this can progress to heat exhaustion and heat stroke — which can even result in death. It is important for football players to be aware of the need for fluid replacement and to inform medical staff of symptoms of heat injury.
 

HOW CAN FOOTBALL INJURIES BE PREVENTED?

• Have a pre-season health and wellness evaluation
• Perform proper warm-up and cool-down routines
• Consistently incorporate strength training and stretching
• Hydrate adequately to maintain health and minimize cramps
• Stay active during summer break to prepare for return to sports in the fall
• Wear properly fitted protective equipment, such as a helmet, pads, and mouthguard
• Tackle with the head up and do not lead with the helmet
• Speak with a sports medicine professional or athletic trainer if you have any concerns about football injuries or football injury prevention strategies

 
The following expert consultants contributed to the tip sheet:
William N. Levine, MD
Brett D. Owens, MD

TWO-A-DAY SEASON

As our "boys of fall" begin practices again before those friday night lights turn back on, it's crucial that their bodies be as prepared as possible for the affects associated with such a strenuous routine.

1. Eat 

Carbs and proteins are going to be essential to rebuild the tissues that inevitably break down from exercise. Two-a-days are meant to maximize the time spent prior to the start of the season, meaning coaches are trying to improve your strength, speed, and confidence as much as possible to start off the season on a good note. The only way to build tissue is to break it down, first - meaning workouts will be difficult. It's crucial that you increase the calorie count when the workout routine increases, as well - by as many as an extra 1,500 calories (on average) per day, depending upon the workout and the athlete's body type. Make sure to get proteins and carbs in your system within 2 hours of finishing a workout, but your body is most efficient at allowing proteins and carbs into your cells within the first 45 minutes. Not only will your body recover faster when you're well-fed, but keeping the energy stores in your body plentiful helps to improve the duration you can withstand a workout at such a high level. 

2. Drink - and don't drink

Athletes of all ages: staying hydrated is so important. Keeping electrolytes in your system by means of gatorade or pedialyte (for quick replenishment), and drinking plenty of water throughout the day will help you to stay hydrated during those long days out on the practice field and in the weight room. It's hard to hold a practice and manage thirst in full padding in 100+ degree heat for coaches; to keep athletes properly hydrated, they'd need to allow water breaks every 10 minutes or less. This turns into an extremely inefficient practice, which is why it helps to seriously manage hydration when not in practice.

Collegiate athletes, on the other hand, also need to limit their alcohol consumption during, and leading up to the start of two-a-day practices to help keep them hydrated and firing on all cylinders. One episode of binge drinking just about wipes out all progress made in 2 weeks worth of workouts, physically, and the aftermath of a binge drinking makes maintaining mental focus very difficult. 

3. Rest

Get plenty of rest. Adjusting to such an extreme amount of high level physical activity will wipe you out - and it's crucial that athletes accommodate their sleep schedule to help reduce fatigue in the days following. Sleep is when your body does most of it's healing - and you will need time to heal and recover to be able to make it through the next day, let alone the next couple of weeks. 

4. Take Advantage of Breaks

Any breaks you're given during a workout - take them. Instead of having to run to drink out of a fountain, keep a large water bottle with you to help you minimize time spent running to get to and from the drinking fountain. 

5. Know Your Body

When you realize you're beginning to severely overheat, back off of a workout. It's imperative that you listen to your body. We understand that most coaches are tough on their players, and therefore, expect them to finish the workouts and only take breaks when allotted with the entire team. The best thing you can do in these situations is back off whatever you're doing; whether it be running, burpees, lifting, etc. by slowing down your pace, lifting a little bit less weight, or taking more time to recover between sets. 

6.  Talk to the Coach

Need an excuse for a break? Go talk to your athletic trainer about a stretch for an "old injury" or a "cramp" or go talk to a coach about something he may want you to do. This will give you some time to recover while still being productive.