BackgroundArtistic gymnastics is reported to have some of the highest injury rates in sports, which limits participation and often involves considerable medical expenses.PurposeTo critically appraise the epidemiological literature on injury patterns and risk factors in competitive artistic gymnastics.Study designSystematic review.MethodsSix databases were searched for articles that investigated injuries in competitive artistic gymnasts. Injury incidence, prevalence and risk factor data were extracted, alongside information on injury location, type, severity, nature and mechanism of injury. Quality and level of evidence were assessed using a modified Downs and Black quality index checklist and the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine guidelines.ResultsThe search identified 894 articles, with 22 eligible for inclusion. Descriptive analysis showed that injury incidence and prevalence varied from 0.3 to 3.6 injuries per gymnast (female=0.3–3.6, male=0.7) and 2.0–2.3 (female=2.0–2.3, male=2.0), respectively. Male gymnasts sustained mostly upper limb injuries, while female gymnast reported lower limb injuries. Floor was associated with the greatest number of injuries for both male and female gymnasts. Higher competitive level and exposure to competition were risk factors for gymnastics injury: age, body mass, body size, training duration and life stress were significant associated factors.ConclusionInjury incidence and prevalence results are substantial among artistic gymnasts of all competitive levels. Gymnasts who train at highly competitive levels and are exposed to competition environments are a greater risk of injury. Future researchers should implement consistent reporting methods.

Recurve archery is an Olympic sport that requires extreme precision, upper body strength and endurance. The purpose of this research was to quantify how postural stability variables both pre- and post-arrow release, draw force, flight time, arrow length and clicker reaction time, collectively, impacted on the performance or scoring outcomes in elite recurve archery athletes. Thirty-nine elite-level recurve archers (23 male and 16 female; mean age = 24.7 ± 7.3 years) from four different countries volunteered to participate in this study prior to competing at a World Cup event. An AMTI force platform (1000Hz) was used to obtain centre of pressure (COP) measurements 1s prior to arrow release and 0.5s post-arrow release. High-speed footage (200Hz) allowed for calculation of arrow flight time and score. Results identified clicker reaction time, draw force and maximum sway speed as the variables that best predicted shot performance. Specifically, reduced clicker reaction time, greater bow draw force and reduced postural sway speed post-arrow release were predictors of higher scoring shots. It is suggested that future research should focus on investigating shoulder muscle tremors at full draw in relation to clicker reaction time, and the effect of upper body strength interventions (specifically targeting the musculature around the shoulder girdle) on performance in recurve archers.

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The magnitude of loading artistic gymnasts experience during training is currently unknown. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) could assess loading, although the reliability of these devices must be established prior to implementation into the training environment. This study aimed to determine inter-trial reliability of using IMeasureU Blue Thunder IMUs to assess upper and lower limb loading when performing foundation gymnastics skills. A secondary aim investigated the effect of raw and filtered acceleration signals on reliability results. Sixteen competitive level artistic gymnasts (male, n = 8; female, n = 8) performed seven gymnastics skills while wearing four IMUs (upper back, lower back, forearm and tibia). The peak resultant acceleration (PRA) during ground contact for all skills was exported from raw and filtered acceleration data (fourth-order zero-lag Butterworth filter with 85 Hz cut-off). Descriptive statistics (median and inter-quartile range), Friedman’s ANOVA, intra-class correlations, coefficient of variation, mean difference and Cohen’s effect sizes were calculated. Overall, the IMU PRA measures showed very good inter-trial reliability, however filtered signals improved reliability statistics for five variables compared to raw. The forearm- and tibia-mounted IMUs demonstrated improved reliability (very good reliability) compared to back positions (good reliability). IMUs are considered reliable devices to measure upper and lower limb loading in gymnastics.