Running towards injury? A prospective investigation of factors associated with running injuries

Background

Given the high incidence and heavy burden of running related injuries, large-scale, prospective multifactorial investigations examining potential risk factors are warranted. This study aimed to identify factors associated with running related injuries and to evaluate their potential in injury screening.

Study design

Prospective cohort study.

Materials and methods Two hundred and seventy-four recreational runners were recruited. Clinical measures (strength, range of motion, foot position), injury and training history (via questionnaire), impact loading (via accelerometery) and running technique measures were collected at baseline. Runners were tracked for injury for one year via fortnightly check-ins. A binary logistic regression, (injury versus no injury), was performed for each variable univariably, and then adjusting for age, sex and mileage. A multivariable regression was also performed to evaluate the model’s discriminative ability.

Conclusions

This study found a number of clinical and running technique factors to be associated with prospective running related injuries among recreational runners. With the exception of injury history, the factors identified as being significantly associated with injury may be modifiable and therefore, could form the basis of interventions. Range of motion, spatiotemporal parameters and strength measures were not associated with injury and thus their utilisation in injury prevention practices should be reconsidered