[Injuries of the musculoskeletal system in German elite rowers].

BACKGROUND

Elite rowers on national and international level are exposed to considerable impact on the musculoskeletal system. The aim of this study was to give an overview of the training load and the injuries of the musculoskeletal system in German elite rowers during the Olympic year.

METHODS

A sample of 29 female rowers aged 22.2 ± 3.1 years and 38 male rowers aged 22.3 ± 3.1 years of German national team has been interviewed about training contents and training volume as well as about musculoskeletal injuries (current and over the past 12 months). Furthermore the athletes were asked to declare the supposed reason for the injuries.

RESULTS

Rowers trained on average 22.8 ± 5.3 hours in 16.0 ± 4.6 training sessions per week. The most frequently reported injuries during the 12-month period were at the lumbar spine/buttock (50.0 % of interviewees), followed by the shoulder girdle (33.9 %), the forearm/hand (32.2 %), the cervical spine (31.6 %) and the thoracic spine (28.1 %). The most frequently reported reason for injuries was "overuse" in all regions.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms a high prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in German elite rowers and supports the demand for adequate preventive measures.