Preventing Injury in Elite Orienteerers

NCT ID: NCT03408925

Last Updated: 2020-02-20

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 66 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2018-02-27
• Study Completion Date: 2018-10-15

Brief Summary

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect a specific exercise program on the incidence of injuries in the lower extremity. 72 elite orienteerers, aged 18-40 years, are allocated to an intervention or control group. The intervention group performs four specific exercises, four times a week (10 minutes per session) in conjunction with normal training. Injury data are collected every second week using valid injury questionnaire distributed by text messages over 14 weeks. Primary outcome is number of substantial injuries in the lower extremity. Secondary outcomes are incidence of ankle sprains and the average substantial injury prevalence across the 10 weeks.

Detailed Description

The high physical load associated with running through uneven terrain contributes to that orienteerers are exposed to high injury risk, where the majority of injuries located in the lower extremities. Specific training programmes have been effective at reducing injury risk in sports. Yet, not trial has been conducted in elite orienteering. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect a specific exercise program on the incidence of injuries in the lower extremity. 72 elite orienteerers, aged 18-40 years, are allocated to an intervention or control group. The intervention group performs four specific exercises, with three difficult levels intensified every second week over the first four weeks, targeting strength, flexibility and coordination of the lower extremity. The exercises are completed four times a week (10 minutes per session) in conjunction with normal training. Injury data are collected every second week using valid injury questionnaire distributed by text messages over 14 weeks. Primary outcome is number of substantial injuries in the lower extremity. Secondary outcomes are incidence of ankle sprains and the average substantial injury prevalence across the 10 weeks. Participants will be recruited in January-February 2018. The intervention starts in February 2018 and data collection will be completed in June 2018. Data analyses are expected to be completed in October-November 2018.

Due to high injury risk and lack of injury prevention trials in orienteering, a RCT investigating the effect of a specific exercise program on the incidence of injuries in the lower extremity, is warranted. The results of this trial will be beneficial to orienteerers, clubs, federations and increase our understanding on how lower extremity injuries can be prevented in a physically challenging sport.

Conditions

Lower Extremity Injury

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Intervention

The intervention consists of an exercise program developed by the medical team of the National Federation of Orienteering. Specifically, it consists of four exercises targeting strength, flexibility and coordination of the lower extremity. The orienteerers are asked to perform the exercises four times a week throughout the entire study period. The exercises are heel rises, runners pose, single leg stance and one-leg jumps with three difficult levels aiming to mainly improve lower extremity strength and neuromuscular function (online supplement). Each second week the exercises' difficulty level is increased.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Exercise program

Intervention Type: OTHER

The orienteerers are asked to perform specific exercises four times a week throughout the entire study period. The exercises are heel rises, runners pose, single leg stance and one-leg jumps with three difficult levels aiming to mainly improve lower extremity strength and neuromuscular function. Each second week the exercises' difficulty level is increased.

Control

Normal training, no intervention

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Exercise program

The orienteerers are asked to perform specific exercises four times a week throughout the entire study period. The exercises are heel rises, runners pose, single leg stance and one-leg jumps with three difficult levels aiming to mainly improve lower extremity strength and neuromuscular function. Each second week the exercises' difficulty level is increased.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

Injured adult elite orienteerers not able to perform baseline tests

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Karolinska Institutet

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Philip von Rosen

PhD

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Philip von Rosen

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Karolinska Insitute

Locations

Karolinska Institutet

Huddinge, , Sweden

Countries

Sweden

References

von Rosen P, Halvarsson B. Preventing lower extremity injury in elite orienteerers: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2018 Apr 20;4(1):e000347. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000347. eCollection 2018.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 29707231 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

4-1645/2017

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id