Musculoskeletal Injury Prevalence, Pain Perception, and Physical Activity Level Among Brazilian Strength and...

Area of Science:

• Exercise Science
• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Musculoskeletal injuries are common in fitness activities.
• Understanding injury prevalence across different training modalities is crucial for injury prevention.
• Strength training (ST) and functional fitness (FF) are popular but may pose different risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries, pain perception, and physical activity levels between Brazilian ST and FF practitioners.
• To identify risk factors and protective factors associated with musculoskeletal injuries in these populations.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 311 participants from ST gyms and FF training centers.
• Data collected via surveys on injury history, pain perception, and weekly physical activity.
• Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, Fisher's exact test, Phi coefficient, Cramer's V, and Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals.

Main Results:

• Functional fitness practitioners showed higher musculoskeletal injury prevalence, particularly in the axial skeleton, compared to ST practitioners (lower limb injuries).
• A significant relationship was found between physical activity levels (≥300 min/week) and training modality.
• Pain perception was significantly associated with musculoskeletal injury (p < 0.001).
• Clinical follow-up (medical or physical therapy) was a strong protective factor against injury (OR = 0.03; CI = 0.01-0.08).

Conclusions:

• Functional fitness practitioners may face a higher risk of musculoskeletal injuries than traditional strength training participants.
• Higher weekly physical activity levels were observed in FF practitioners.
• Clinical follow-up is a critical protective factor for reducing injury incidence in both training modalities.