Musculoskeletal injuries in Portuguese CrossFit practitioners

CrossFit training is performed at high intensity and with limited or no recovery time between sets, being associated to increased injury risk. That is why this study determined injury epidemiology and risk factors for injury in Portuguese CrossFit practitioners.

The sample included 270 CrossFit practitioners, aged 15 to 53, being 152 (56.3%) males. The measurement instrument was a questionnaire concerning characterization of the population, and aspects related to the modality and injuries.

Sixty-one (22.6%) individuals had an injury in the previous year, with a total of 80 injuries. There were 1.34 injuries per 1,000 hours of CrossFit training. The most common injuries were joint injuries (30.8%), and muscle injuries (23.1%), located in the shoulder (35.9%) and the lumbar spine (17.9%). The CrossFit practitioners who didn´t participate in competitions showed a 2.64 greater probability of having an injury (95% CI: 1.37-5.09; P=0.004) than those who did participate, and the CrossFit practitioners who trained twice or less a week showed a 3.24 greater probability of injury (95% CI: 1.78-5.89; P≤0.001) than those who trained three or more times.

In conclusion, injuries proved to be common among CrossFit practitioners, especially those who train less and/or do not take part in competitions.