By Christian Ingram
Young athletes were found to be at an elevated risk for injury as they aged, engaged in sport-specialized training and when they spent a disproportionate amount of time in organized sports vs. free play time, according to study data.
Researchers evaluated survey data from 822 injured athletes (age range: 7 to 18 years) between 2010 and 2013. Data were compared with data from a group of 368 healthy controls who underwent a sports physical in the same period. Information regarding the hours per week spent participating in sports (organized sports, physical education class and free play), degree of sport specialization, Tanner stage, height, weight and injury details were analyzed and compared between cohorts. 