Correlation Between Core Stability Parameters and Injury Rate in Elite-Level Wrestling Sport: Results of 6-Month...

Elite wrestling is a contact sport characterized by high levels of physical fitness and a high level of injury. Studies have shown that poor "core stability" is associated with increased risk of injury in other sports. This study examines the correlation between the different parameters of "core stability" and the injury rate in elite wrestling.

It was hypothesized that poor results on core stability tests would be associated with an increased risk of injury.

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

We involved 60 members of the Azerbaijan National Wrestling Team (mean age 25.5 ± 4.6 years) who met the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Baseline assessment of core stability was performed using the Limits of Stability Test on the Biodex Balance System, McGill's Endurance Test Battery, and complex core stability tests. Injuries were defined as tissue damage resulting from sports participation that led to at least 1 day of time loss from training or competition. Data were collected over a 6-month period. Descriptive statistics, including interquartile ranges, were recorded, and Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess relationships between variables.

A total of 997 injuries were recorded over 6 months (median injury burden: 54.6 days/1000 training hours; median days lost per injury: 16.5 [IQR, 14.0-19.8]). Core stability measures demonstrated significant negative correlations with multiple injury parameters, indicating that better stability performance was associated with reduced injury risk and severity. The McGill Side Bridge (right) test showed the strongest association with injury burden (r = -0.596, P < .001) and days out of training (r = -0.597, P < .001). The dynamic overall score was also highly correlated with injury burden (r = -0.530, P < .001) and injury incidence (r = -0.472, P < .001). Across all injury outcomes, days out of training demonstrated the greatest number of significant correlations, ranging from r = -0.412 to r = -0.597 (all P < .05).

Our study demonstrates that there is a significant relationship between poor core stability parameters and injury burden. These results could suggest that a specially designed core-specific training program could help reduce injury rates in wrestling, provided that a controlled study-featuring core exercises administered to an experimental group-confirms the link between weak core stability and an increased risk of injury.