Injury incidence and patterns among Dutch calisthenics athletes: a cross-sectional observational study

This study aimed to investigate the injury incidence rate among calisthenics athletes and explore the factors associated with injuries, including demographic and athlete characteristics, as well as injury patterns and skill levels.

We collected data from Dutch calisthenics athletes using an electronic questionnaire administered between February and March 2020. The inclusion criteria required participants to be calisthenics athletes willing to take part and aged over 18 years. Exclusion criteria were applied for individuals residing outside the Netherlands and those who did not comprehend the Dutch or English language.

A total of 401 athletes responded to the survey, of whom 181 met the inclusion criteria. The injury incidence rate over the previous 12 months was 59%. The most frequently injured body parts were the shoulders (32%), wrists (15%), elbows (10%), and back (10%). Several factors were significantly associated with the injury incidence rate, including the duration of participation in calisthenics (6-12 months, 1-2 years, and 2-4 years), doing multiple training sessions per day, utilizing technique training as a warm-up, and possessing an intermediate skill level in power elements.

The findings revealed an injury incidence rate of 59% among calisthenics athletes over the previous 12 months. Calisthenics athletes most often injure their shoulders, wrists, elbows, and back. Athletes who had been training for 6 months to 4 years, did engage in multiple training sessions per day, used technique training as a warm-up, and had an intermediate skill level in power elements were associated with an increased risk of injury.