Sports-related Injuries
Athletes in particular are prone to injuring themselves during the course of their athletic pursuits. Athletic injury is normally associated with the connective tissues, including ligaments, tendons, the tissues lining the joints, and other structures.
Many people assume that an athlete's muscles are the body parts most likely to sustain damage. This is not the case. If you picture a cross section of your arm, through the biceps muscle, it will resemble a cross section of industrial copper cable. A thick coating of insulation covers the entire cable. Inside the outer coat are sub-groups of copper cables that are also covered with insulating sheaths. Still more smaller cables and their sheaths lie within, until you get down to individual copper strands.
In the cross section of the arm, muscle forms the "copper cables" and connective tissue forms the "insulating sheaths" around these cables. This connective tissue protects and reinforces the muscle fibres from stress and trauma. The protective sheaths receive all the transference of force that occurs during muscle use, and therefore the bulk of the stress associated with athletic activity.
HOW COMMON ARE SPORTS INJURIES?
Sports injuries are the leading cause of unintentional injury in children and youth, peaking at 42 percent annually for people aged 15 to 24. Injuries sustained during athletic pursuits account for 23 percent of all traumas, second only to motor vehicle injuries, and are the leading cause of death in children. Among adults, the exact figures for sports-related injuries are not known as they tend to be grouped with all injuries and trauma to the muscles and structures of the joints.
HOW SPORTS INJURY RISK INCREASES
As we grow older, our connective tissues tend to dry out and lose their flexibility. This is due in part to decreased stability of the cell membranes and collagen fibres. This loss of flexibility contributes towards the risk of injury during exercise and other forms of intense activity. Most sports injuries are caused by either accidents or overuse.
SUBSTANCES THAT IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE
- Nutricol®
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Click here for information on preventing and treating sports injuries