Injuries in strength training: review and practical application

Purpose: This systematic review examines what is known about injuries in strength training. Methods: A systematic search was performed in PubMed and SportDiscus. Studies were included if they examined powerlifters, weightlifters, strongman athletes, bodybuilding athletes, individuals who undertook recreational weight training or weight training to complement athletic performance. Exposure variables were incidence, severity and body part injury. Results: After examining 1214 titles and abstracts, 62 articles were identified as potentially relevant. Finally, 11 were included in this systematic review. Conflicting results were reported on the relationships between injury definition and incidence or severity recorded. The lower back followed by the shoulder and knee are the most frequently affected areas in strength sports. Conclusion: Strength training is safe. However, the variety of injury definitions has makes it difficult to compare different studies in this field. New styles of reporting injuries have appeared, and could make increases these ratios. If methodological limitations in measuring incidence rate and severity injuries can be resolved, more work can be conducted to define the real incidence rate, compare it with others sports, and explore cause and effect relationships in randomized controlled trials. Key Words: strength training, injuries, specific strength sports, severit

Tears of Biceps Femoris, Semimembranosus, And Semitendinosus are Not Equal—A New Individual Muscle-Tendon Concept in Athletes

Objectives: Hamstring injuries are common and can now be accurately diagnosed. In addition, novel surgical indications have been introduced. However, evidence-based guidelines on the hamstring injuries in management of top-level athletes are missing.Methods: The management methods and outcomes of treatment are classically based on relatively small case series. We discuss a novel concept based on the fact that each tendon of the hamstrings muscle should be managed in an individual fashion. Furthermore, suitable indications for hamstring surgery in athletes are introduced.Results: The present study introduces modern treatment principles for hamstring injury management. Typical clinical and imagining findings as well as surgical treatment are presented based on a critical review of the available literature and personal experience.Conclusion: Hamstring injuries should not be considered to be all equal given the complexity of this anatomical region: The three separate tendons are different, and this impacts greatly on the decision-making process and outcomes in athletes.</p