In-competition injuries and performance success in combined events during major international athletics championships.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the potential association between in-competition injuries and performance success (determined as "winning a medal") in combined events during international athletics championships. METHODS: Newly incurred injuries were prospectively reported daily by the national medical teams and/or by the local organising committee physicians during 18 international athletics championships. Participation, climatic conditions and performance (medals) were collected retrospectively from the internet. Potential association between injury and performance success (win a medal) were analysed using an adjusted stepwise multiple regression and risk indicators presented as Odd Ratios (OR) (95%CI). Then, the proportions of injured competing athletes were descriptively presented among ranked and dropped-out, and medallist and non-medallist athletes. RESULTS: A total of 799 athletes competed in combined events during the included 18 championships, of these 134 (16.8%) had at least one injury. An adjusted stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that in-competition injury was significantly associated with lower odds of winning a medal (OR=0.45 (95% CI 0.20-0.88)). The proportion of injured athletes was higher among the dropped-out than among the ranked athletes, and among non-medallists than medallists. DESIGN: This was a total population design. CONCLUSIONS: During international athletics championships, being injured during a combined events competition was associated with lower odds of winning a medal. Injury prevention could contribute to improve performance success.

Causes of dropouts in decathlon. A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Knowing the frequency and causes of dropouts in combined events seems relevant and helpful to develop strategies of injury prevention and to better define/understand the necessary qualities for decathletes. OBJECTIVE: To determine the causes of dropouts and the frequency of injury in decathlon. DESIGN: This pilot prospective study focused on 3 high-level decathlon competitions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data concerning athlete's participation (number of participating athletes listed on the start list, number of athletes in the final ranking), and the causes of dropouts were collected prospectively during the 3 high-level decathlon competitions. RESULTS: 38% of decathletes did not complete these competitions. The causes of dropout were: injury (36%), loss of motivation (36%), tiredness (9%), and indeterminate (18%). 50% of injuries were acute hamstring injuries during explosive events on the first day (100-m and long jump). CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal injury prevention and motivational aspects seem important to complete an entire decathlon and to aim at best performance. More detailed prospective studies are needed to determine the exact medical causes of dropouts in combined events.

Sporting activity and drug use: Alcohol, cigarette and cannabis use among elite student athletes.

AIMS: To study the relationship between sporting activity and alcohol, cigarette and cannabis use among adolescents and young adults, by focusing on elite student athletes (ESAs). DESIGN, SETTING, SUBJECTS: Cross-sectional survey (Spring 2002), in a sample of 460 ESAs (ages 16-24 years) recruited at 40 public centres gathering the young sporting elite from 30 different sports in South-Eastern France, comparison with samples of the general population of adolescents in South-Eastern France. MEASURES: Respondents were asked confidentially by a self-administered questionnaire about their use of licit and illicit drugs, their sporting activity and other aspects of their life-style. FINDINGS: Prevalences of cigarette, alcohol and cannabis use were markedly lower for ESAs than for other adolescents (generally twice or three times as low). Among ESAs, when compared with the practice of an individual sport, the practice of a team sport was correlated positively with alcohol use (OR = 2.7 for girls, OR = 1.8 for boys), and the practice of a sliding sport was correlated positively with cannabis use (for girls: OR = 2.3) and with alcohol use (for boys: 4.3). Girls who entered competition at international level were more prone to smoke cigarettes and cannabis (OR = 6.1 and 2.4, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: As a whole, practising sports as an elite student-athlete can be considered as correlated negatively with cigarette, alcohol and cannabis use. Nevertheless, this relationship depends on the kind of sport practised as well as the level of competition, and further research is needed to understand specific elite athletes' motives for use.