Demographics, Activity Level, and Shoulder Health History of Populations Participating in CrossFit: A Descriptive Analysis

Abstract

Background: CrossFit is a training program that has increased in popularity. The possibility of its association with orthopedic injuries has grown as a topic of discussion in the healthcare industry. Before investigation of this association can begin, baseline descriptive data of the participating population must be available. To date, there is no reported data regarding demographics, activity level, or shoulder heath of CrossFitters.Objective: To describe the demographics, current and previous level of activity, and shoulder health history of people who apply to train at CrossFit gyms Methods: Subjects were recruited from a single CrossFit gym and were asked to fill out the Pre-Participation Questionnaire (PPQ), the Disability of the Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH), and the Penn-Shoulder Score (PSS).Results: Seventy nine subjects ,… males (%), average age 31.15 ± 7.91 years, height 1.68 ± 0.11 meters, weight 72.60 ± 13.85 kilograms and body mass index (BMI) 25.61 ± 4.08 participated in the study. The mean intake scores for the DASH and PENN were 2.46 ± 5.04 and 94.15 respectively. Twenty subjects (25%) reported a previous history of shoulder injury. Conclusions:The Crossfit training appears to attract younger individuals, predominately male? With a high level of function related to upper extremity and shoulder joint. Future prospective longitudinal studies should examine improvement in function and rate of injury while on Crossfit training.