Injury Rate and Patterns Among CrossFit Athletes

Abstract

Background:CrossFit is a type of competitive exercise program that has gained widespread recognition. To date, there have been no studies that have formally examined injury rates among CrossFit participants or factors that may contribute to injury rates.Purpose:To establish an injury rate among CrossFit participants and to identify trends and associations between injury rates and demographic categories, gym characteristics, and athletic abilities among CrossFit participants.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:A survey was conducted, based on validated epidemiologic injury surveillance methods, to identify patterns of injury among CrossFit participants. It was sent to CrossFit gyms in Rochester, New York; New York City, New York; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and made available via a posting on the main CrossFit website. Participants were encouraged to distribute it further, and as such, there were responses from a wide geographical location. Inclusion criteria included participating in CrossFit training at a CrossFit gym in the United States. Data were collected from October 2012 to February 2013. Data analysis was performed using Fisher exact tests and chi-square tests.Results:A total of 486 CrossFit participants completed the survey, and 386 met the inclusion criteria. The overall injury rate was determined to be 19.4% (75/386). Males (53/231) were injured more frequently than females (21/150; P = .03). Across all exercises, injury rates were significantly different (P < .001), with shoulder (21/84), low back (12/84), and knee (11/84) being the most commonly injured overall. The shoulder was most commonly injured in gymnastic movements, and the low back was most commonly injured in power lifting movements. Most participants did not report prior injury (72/89; P < .001) or discomfort in the area (58/88; P < .001). Last, the injury rate was significantly decreased with trainer involvement (P = .028).Conclusion:The injury rate in CrossFit was approximately 20%. Males were more likely to sustain an injury than females. The involvement of trainers in coaching participants on their form and guiding them through the workout correlates with a decreased injury rate. The shoulder and lower back were the most commonly injured in gymnastic and power lifting movements, respectively. Participants reported primarily acute and fairly mild injuries.

The Epidemiology of Injuries Across the Weight-Training Sports

“…In contrast, the squat (11 -24%), bench press (6 -16%) and shoulder press (9 -14%) were the most common injury-causing exercises for bodybuilders [31,38] and strongman athletes [26]. For CrossFit athletes, powerlifting, gymnastics and Olympic lifting exercises (23, 20 and 17%, respectively) were most commonly cited as causing injury [34]. McLennan et al [32] observed that the weight toss, caber toss and hammer throw (31, 25 and 20%, respectively) accounted for most Highland Games event injuries, with no data available on the injuries attributable to the weight training.…”

“…Five of the 20 studies had a score ≥75% and were considered to have a low ROB [19]. The definition of injury was clearly described in 14 studies [13,20,22,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34], with these definitions typically requiring an injury to involve physical damage to the athlete that caused the athlete to modify or cancel at least one training session. A summary of the definitions provided in these papers is provided in Table 2.…”

“…the proportion of athletes who had suffered an injury [22,23,28,30,31,34], with this varying from 16 -90%. Drawing comparisons between these studies is difficult as the time frame of data collection differed.…”

“…Weisenthal et al [34] ''Injury'' encompassed any new musculoskeletal pain, feeling, or injury that results from a CrossFit workout and leads to 1 or more of the following options: 1) Total removal from CrossFit training and other outside routine physical activities for >1 week; 2) Modification of normal training activities in duration, intensity, or mode for >2 weeks; and 3) Any physical complaint severe enough to warrant a visit to a health professional.…”

Effectiveness of Chiropractic Adjustment in Lumbar Pain in Crossfit Practitioners

“…In most cases, the lumbalgia is caused by mechanical problems in the joints and muscles. [6][7][8] In CrossFit training, individuals perform repetitive movements of lifting weights, squatting, and improper posture, 9,10 and an evaluation of whether these movements are being performed incorrectly during training, whether from carelessness or lack of guidance, is extremely important. These activities, when repeated frequently, can lead to spine problems and intense pain, especially in the lumbar region, where most of the weight is normally supported.…”