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Do Exercise-Based Prevention Programs Reduce Injury in Endurance Runners? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Han Wu1, Katherine Brooke-Wavell1, Daniel T P Fong1
1National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
Exercise programs do not significantly reduce running-related injuries (RRIs). However, supervised interventions may lower RRI risk, suggesting compliance is key for prevention in endurance runners.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Exercise Science
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Endurance running is popular but has a high injury rate.
- Running-related injuries (RRIs) cause drop-outs and incur costs.
- Existing research on exercise for RRI prevention in runners needs recent review.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze research on exercise-based prevention programs for RRIs in endurance runners.
- To investigate the impact of supervision on the effectiveness of these programs.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Inclusion criteria focused on endurance runners, non-running exercise interventions, and prospective injury reporting.
- Meta-analyses used random-effects models; study quality assessed using Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.
Main Results:
- Nine studies with 1904 participants were analyzed.
- Overall, exercise interventions did not significantly reduce RRI risk or rate.
- Supervised interventions showed a significant reduction in injury risk (p < 0.001).
- Seven of the included studies were of low quality.
Conclusions:
- Exercise-based interventions alone do not appear to reduce RRIs.
- Supervision of exercise programs may be crucial for reducing RRI risk, potentially by improving adherence.
- Future research should prioritize robust study designs with supervised exercise interventions.
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