Sports Injuries Among Players of the Polish National Team in Amputee Football in the Annual Training Cycle

Motivational factors for participation in mass running events: a comparative study of females and males with physical disabilities

BACKGROUND

While the motivations of individuals without impairments for participating in mass running events are well-documented, there is a lack of current research exploring why people with physical disabilities engage in these events. This study aims to identify the motives for participation among people with physical disabilities, taking into account factors such as sex, age (emerging adults vs. middle-aged adults), time since injury or illness, and mode of movement during the run (wheelchair vs. standing).

METHODS

In total, 119 participants (51.3% male; mean age of 36 years) completed the Polish version of the Motivations of Marathoners Scale questionnaire. The study was carried out using the diagnostic survey method. Online survey forms were sent to 31 organizations from the Greater Poland region, including sports clubs for individuals with disabilities and runners' clubs open to both individuals with and without disabilities.

RESULTS

This study uncovered distinct motivational differences based on age and mode of movement during the run. For participants aged under 35 compared to those over 35, significant differences were noted in the motives of recognition (Z = - 2.834, p = 0.005) and affiliation (Z = - 2.534, p = 0.011). Similarly, when comparing wheelchair users with standing participants, notable disparities were observed in motives related to weight (Z = - 5.109, p = < 0.001) and personal goal achievement (Z = - 2.613, p = 0.009). There was also a significant positive relationship between the time since injury or illness and five out of nine subscales of the Motivations of Marathoners Scale (i.e. affiliation: r = 0.256, p = 0.007; recognition: r = 0.239, p = 0.011). The study found no significant differences in the motivations between men and women with physical disabilities for participating in mass running events.

CONCLUSIONS

When organizing and promoting running events for people with physical disabilities, it is important to consider factors such as the age of runners, time since injury, and mode of movement during the run. Additionally, it should be noted that no significant differences are found based on gender, indicating that both male and female participants are driven by similar motivations when it comes to participating in these events.

The usefulness of balance test in preseason evaluation of injuries in amputee football players: a pilot prospective observational study

Background

Low balance ability is generally associated with an increased risk of ligament injuries. It seems that assessing the level of stability in amputee football players can help evaluate the accompanying risk of sports injuries. Thus, the study aimed to examine the usefulness of the balance test in preseason evaluation by calculating between-group differences in stability parameters between injured and non-injured amputee players.

Methods

The study was designed as a pilot prospective observational study. Twenty-five elite amputee football players representing the Polish National Team and the highest division in Polish League completed one-leg preseason balance tests on the Biodex Balance System before the start of the football season. All players in this study were male, with an average age of 29 years (SD = 7.9), a stature of 174.2 cm (SD 5.2) and a body mass of 80.1 kg (SD = 13.1). Then, players were prospectively observed over one football season, and lower leg injury data were prospectively collected through the nine months. The between-group differences were tested using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test for players who sustained an injury (yes) and those who did not within the analysed season (no). Overall (OSI), medial-lateral (MLSI), and anterior-posterior stability index (APSI) were analysed as primary outcomes.

Results

The preseason values of the balance tests were not predictive (p > 0.05) regarding sustaining an injury during the season. No between-group differences were noted for any analysed outcomes (p values ranged from 0.093 to 0.453).

Conclusions

Although static balance tasks offer a chance to make a preliminary assessment of injury prediction in amputee footballers, in overall, the balance test results cannot be regarded as the sole predictive injury risk factor in amputee football.

Match running performance profiles of amputee football players at the national level

Even though running performance and positional profiles in football are well described, amputee football (AF) has different characteristics of the movement, pitch dimensions, and time played. There is a gap in the scientific literature about positional profiles based on running performance in AF. This study aimed to investigate the differences between positions, the influence of the amputation level or defect of the lower limb (LD), the differences in running performance between halves, and the relationship with the final match result. Thirteen AF National Team players were monitored by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), tracking 24 official international matches for 17 months. Values of top speed, peak acceleration, peak deceleration, average distance per minute, sprint mean speed, GPS load per minute, inertial load per minute (Gs load/min), number of sprints per minute, and a number of impacts per minute were analyzed for defenders (DEF), midfielders (MID) and forwards (FOR). Additional factors analyzed were amputation level (below the knee, low amputation-LA or over the knee, high amputation-HA or defect of the lower limb-LD) and the match's final result. Midfielders had significantly higher running performance parameters compared to other positions (greater top speed than DEF (+ 0.3 m/s; p < 0.001) and FOR (+ 0.2 m/s; p = 0.045), greater peak acceleration and deceleration than DEF (+ 0.5 m/s2 for both measures; p < 0.001) and FOR (+ 0.4 and + 0.3 m/s2; p < 0.001 and p = 0.036, respectively), greater GPS load/minute than DEF (+ 0.2 load/min; p = 0.001) and FOR (+ 0.3 load/min; p < 0.001), greater Gs load per minute than DEF (+ 2.7 load/min; p < 0.001) and FOR (+ 1.8 load/min; p < 0.001), greater number of impacts per minute than DEF (+ 0.2 n/min; p < 0.001) and FOR (+ 0.2 n/min; p < 0.001). Players with LD had significantly higher running performance than those with LA or HA. In the match's second half, a decrease in running performance was registered. The trend of running more when losing could be observed-AF players had higher running parameters in lost matches, but the differences were not statistically significant. Further research complied with contextual game analysis is needed to assess the running performance of AF players deeply.

PREVENTION OF SPORTS INJURIES DURING PHYSICAL TRAINING OF VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS

ABSTRACT Introduction Volleyball is a popular sport among Chinese college students. Almost all professional sports colleges and universities have set up volleyball majors courses. To improve the basic physical fitness of volleyball players, it is necessary to strengthen their physical training. Objective Analyze the causes and types of sports injuries of volleyball players in colleges, formulating countermeasures for preventive training of volleyball players. Methods The sports injuries of 38 volleyball players at a university were investigated, the physical training factors that caused injuries were analyzed, and the need to build an injury-prevention physical training system was discussed. Injury prevention physical training was presented to effectively prevent sports injuries. Results The common sports injuries of college volleyball athletes were mainly ligament injuries, knee joint injuries, patella cartilage injuries, and lumbar spine injuries. Conclusion Preventive physical training can effectively prevent sports injuries among college volleyball athletes, reduce the incidence of injury to a controlled extent, and at the same time extend the athletes’ sports trajectory as far as possible beyond their efforts to improve their ultimate sports performance. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.