Risk Factors for Injury Among Japanese Collegiate Players of American Football Based on Performance Test Results

Abstract

Iguchi, J, Watanabe, Y, Kimura, M, Fujisawa, Y, Hojo, T, Yuasa, Y, Higashi, S, and Kuzuhara, K. Risk factors for injury among Japanese collegiate players of American football based on performance test results. J Strength Cond Res 30(12): 3405-3411, 2016-The purpose of this study was to identify how risk factors for injury during American football are related to players' physical strength as determined using typical performance tests. One hundred 53 Japanese collegiate players of American football were recruited for this study. Eight potential risk factors were evaluated: position (skill vs. lineman), body mass index, back squat one-repetition maximum, vertical jump height, power, height, body weight, and previous injury. Using multivariate Cox regression, we examined how these factors were associated with knee sprain, ankle sprain, and hamstring strain. We recorded 63 injuries (17 knee sprains, 23 ankle sprains, and 23 hamstring strains). Players with higher power were at significantly greater risk for knee sprains (p = 0.04), those with low power had a significantly higher incidence of ankle sprain (p = 0.01), and vertical jump height was a significant predictor of hamstring strain (p = 0.02). We identified several independent predictors of injuries associated with American football. Our findings may contribute to the development of effective screening tests and prevention exercises.

Structure of a year cycle of athletes training in aerobics (woman) with various psychophysiological and functional features

“…The method of the multidimensional analysis is also used in other kinds of physical training and sport: for network analysis of competitive sports [33,34]; forecasting of player's success [35] and forecast of the maximum HR at children and teenagers [36]; forecasting of injuries at athletes in track and field events [37], American soccer [38], snowboard [39].…”

Positional relationship between several performance tests and physical profile of Brazilian football athletes

“…In an American football game, each position has distinct performance demands. Furthermore, previous studies have reported that height, body weight, and body composition are different among American football players (Dupler, Amonette, Coleman, Hoffman, & Wenzel, 2010;Iguchi et al, 2016), and the different speed and movement demands required may be explained by the specific characteristics of each playing position (Robbins & Young, 2012;Raymundo et al, 2018). High-level teams present at least 20 distinct positions.…”

“…For instance, wide receivers and defensive backs, who often weigh < 90 kg, are usually required to run distances in excess of 30 or 40 m. Linemen commonly weighing over 140 kg are rarely required to run > 10 m (Robbins & Young, 2012;Iguchi et al, 2016). Players in skill position achieve greater distances, highintensity sprint, and acceleration and deceleration efforts than those in other positions (Nuzzo, 2015).…”

“…Players in skill position achieve greater distances, highintensity sprint, and acceleration and deceleration efforts than those in other positions (Nuzzo, 2015). With the different performance requirements in a game, physical profile differs between position categories and level of experience (Iguchi et al, 2016;Yamashita et al, 2016). Studies examining the relationship between physical strength and performance have suggested that superior physical strength, speed, and power are important to a higher team ranking or to becoming a starter (Dupler et al, 2010;Lockie et al, 2017).…”

“…Studies examining the relationship between physical strength and performance have suggested that superior physical strength, speed, and power are important to a higher team ranking or to becoming a starter (Dupler et al, 2010;Lockie et al, 2017). On the other hand, other studies have been reported that stronger and faster athletes are more likely to be injured because of higher speed and collision forces (Iguchi et al, 2016;Yeargin et al, 2017). Robbins and Young (2012) investigated positional relationships between sprint and jump abilities and body mass in elite American college football players.…”