Co-creation of injury prevention measures for competitive adolescent distance runners: knowledge, behavior, and needs of athletes and coaches enrolled on England Athletics' Youth Talent Programme.

This study assessed the knowledge, behavior, and needs of competitive adolescent (16-18 years) distance runners and distance running coaches enrolled as part of England Athletics' Youth Talent Programme in relation to the prevention of running-related injury (RRI). Two online surveys were developed and distributed to the distance runners (survey one) and coaches (survey two). Both surveys included sections related to: (1) current knowledge; (2) current behavior; (3) need and support for RRI prevention measures; and (4) possible content and form of RRI prevention measures. A total of 39 distance runners (36% of total possible sample) completed survey 1, and 29 coaches (32% of total possible sample) completed survey 2. Key findings included that the majority of distance runners and coaches: (1) agreed that it is 'very important' to try to prevent RRI; (2) are currently implementing something in practice (e.g., strength training) to prevent RRI; and (3) view the creation of RRI prevention measures as an important initiative. Differences between distance runners and coaches were identified in relation to their understanding of the most common causes of RRI. Interestingly, distance runners identified a modifiable cause of RRI (i.e., too much training) as the most common cause of RRI, while coaches selected a non-modifiable cause of RRI (i.e., growth and maturation). These key findings were supplemented by competitive adolescent runners and distance running coaches detailing their delivery preferences for such RRI prevention measures. Results from this study will help inform subsequent steps of the larger co-creation process, with an emphasis on developing multifaceted and context-specific RRI prevention measures that are deemed to be feasible and acceptable for real-world implementation.

The majority of competitive adolescent distance runners and distance running coaches who took part in this study agreed that it is 'very important' to try to prevent RRI and view the creation of RRI prevention measures as an important initiative.Alongside this support, interesting differences between the distance runners and coaches were also identified, including, for example: (1) their understanding of the most common causes of RRI and (2) their preferences about where and when to complete RRI prevention measures.Results from this study will help inform subsequent steps of the larger co-creation process, with an emphasis on developing multifaceted and context-specific RRI prevention measures that are deemed to be feasible and acceptable for real-world implementation.

Injuries and Training Practices in Competitive Adolescent Distance Runners: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Distance running is one of the most popular sports around the world. The epidemiology of running-related injury (RRI) has been investigated in adults, but few studies have focused on adolescent distance runners. Objectives: (1) To provide descriptive epidemiology of RRI (risks, rates, body regions/areas, and severity) and examine the training practices (frequency, volume, and intensity) of competitive adolescent distance runners (13-18 years) in England, and (2) to describe potential risk factors of RRI. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. Adolescent distance runners (n = 113) were recruited from England Athletics affiliated clubs. Participants voluntarily completed an online questionnaire between April and December 2018. At the time of completion, responses were based on the participant's previous 12-months of distance running participation. Incidence proportions (IP) and incidence rates (IR) were calculated. Results: The IP for "all RRI" was 68% (95% CI: 60-77), while the IR was 6.3/1,000 participation hours (95% CI: 5.3-7.4). The most commonly injured body areas were the knee, foot/toes, and lower leg; primarily caused by overuse. The number of training sessions per week (i.e., frequency) significantly increased with chronological age, while a large proportion of participants (58%) self-reported a high level of specialisation. Conclusions: RRI is common in competitive adolescent distance runners. These descriptive data provide guidance for the development of RRI prevention measures. However, analytical epidemiology is required to provide better insight into potential RRI risk factors in this specific population.

Prevalence and burden of health problems in competitive adolescent distance runners: A 6-month prospective cohort study.

To describe all health problems (injuries and illnesses) in relation to type, location, incidence, prevalence, time loss, severity, and burden, in competitive adolescent distance runners in England. Prospective observational study: 136 competitive adolescent distance runners (73 female athletes) self-reported all health problems for 24-weeks between May and October 2019. Athletes self-reported health problems using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Questionnaire on Health Problems. The incidence of running-related injury per 1,000 hours of exposure was markedly higher, compared to previous research. At any time, 24% [95% Confidence Intervals (CI): 21-26%] of athletes reported a health problem, with 11% [95% CI: 9-12%] having experienced a health problem that had substantial negative impact on training and performance. Female athletes reported noticeably more illnesses, compared to male athletes, including higher prevalence, incidence, time loss, and severity. The most burdensome health problems, irrespective of sex, included lower leg, knee, and foot/toes injuries, alongside upper respiratory illnesses. The mean weekly prevalence of time loss was relatively low, regardless of health problem type or sex. Competitive adolescent distance runners are likely to be training and competing whilst concurrently experiencing health problems. These findings will support the development of injury and illness prevention measures.

The Validation of Session Rating of Perceived Exertion for Quantifying Internal Training Load in Adolescent Distance Runners.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of measurement timing and concurrent validity of session and differential ratings of perceived exertion (sRPE and dRPE, respectively) as measures of internal training load in adolescent distance runners. METHODS: A total of 15 adolescent distance runners (15.2 [1.6] y) performed a 2-part incremental treadmill test for the assessment of maximal oxygen uptake, heart rate (HR), and blood lactate responses. Participants were familiarized with RPE and dRPE during the treadmill test using the Foster modified CR-10 Borg scale. Subsequently, each participant completed a regular 2-wk mesocycle of training. Participants wore an HR monitor for each exercise session and recorded their training in a logbook, including sRPE, dRPE leg exertion (dRPE-L), and breathlessness (dRPE-B) following session completion (0 min), 15 min postsession, and 30 min postsession. RESULTS: sRPE, dRPE-L, and dRPE-B scores were all most likely lower when reported 30 min postsession compared with scores 0 min postsession (%change, ±90% confidence limits; sRPE -26.5%, ±5.5%; dRPE-L -20.5%, ±5.6%; dRPE-B -38.9%, ±7.4%). sRPE, dRPE-L, and dRPE-B all maintained their largest correlations (r = .74-.89) when reported at session completion (0 min) in comparison with each of the HR-based criteria measures. CONCLUSION: sRPE, whether reported 0, 15, or 30 min postsession, provides a valid measure of internal training load in adolescent distance runners. In addition, dRPE-L and dRPE-B can be used in conjunction with sRPE across all time points (0, 15, and 30 min) to discriminate between central and peripheral exertion.