Doctoral Theses / Doktorsavhandlingar Institutionen för kost- och idrottsvetenskap

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Browsing Doctoral Theses / Doktorsavhandlingar Institutionen för kost- och idrottsvetenskap by Subject "Athletics"

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    Overuse injuries in Swedish elite athletics - Incidence, occurrence, athlete availability, and risk factors
    (2021-02-05) Lundberg Zachrisson, Andreas
    The overall aim of this thesis was to explore three aspects of overuse injuries in elite Swedish athletics. The thesis is compiled of four papers, of which the first one is a study protocol. Paper II (n=58) aimed to gain knowledge about overuse injury characteristics, and Paper III (n=59) aimed to estimate the seasonal distribution of overuse injuries and the consequences for athletes. Paper IV (n=96) evaluated potential risk factors and their relation to overuse injury. Athletes were followed prospectively during one Swedish athletics season. Injuries were diagnosed and recorded with the help of medical professionals. At enrollment, all athletes conducted a baseline screening consisting of a clinical examination, running analysis and strength tests. Male and female Swedish elite athletics athletes were recruited in Gothenburg from four event groups: middle/long distance runners, sprinters, jumpers, and throwers. All athletes were asked to fill out and submit training documentation on a monthly basis during the season. Paper II aimed to describe the incidence proportion, injury onset, injury location, and injury severity of overuse injuries during a Swedish athletics season. The overall incidence proportion for the cohort was 72.4%, with 64.8% of all injuries being categorized as injuries with a gradual onset caused by overuse and 35.2% of all injuries with a sudden onset caused by overuse. Ninety percent of recorded injuries during the study period were located at the lower extremities. The majority of injuries were located at the thigh/hip, followed by the foot/shank. Most injuries sustained by the cohort were severe, with 53.5% of injuries leading to a total or partial time-loss from training and competition of at least 28 days. In paper III, the results showed that the majority of injuries occurred in October followed by December and April. The overall incidence rate per 1000 hours of athletics training was 1.81 for the cohort, and a moderate athlete availability of 78% for the season with a large individual variability. In paper IV certain risk factors were identified. More specifically, athletes with an injury at the thigh/hip show a slower knee flexion velocity compared with athletes not injured at the thigh/hip. In conclusion, Swedish elite athletics athletes suffer from a high incidence of overuse injuries that most likely affect their potential to perform at a high level during the season. The majority of injuries are sustained at the beginning of the season during the first conditioning phase. Thus, to decrease the number of injuries, future research should focus on further investigating the athletes’ training volume and training intensity and the possible association to overuse injury.
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    Vad möjliggör och begränsar en hållbar elitfriidrott? Aktionsforskning i elitidrottspraktiker inom Göteborgs friidrottsförbund
    (2020-11-20) Dohlsten, John
    In athletics, there are few strategies for detecting and managing ill health and poor well-being. New innovative collaborations are needed for coaches to meet the challenge of promoting health and creating well-being among athletes while developing top performers. This research explores the conditions for coaches’ professional development to develop a more sustainable elite sport. In addition, this study problematizes the coaches’ development work towards a more sustainable elite sport in Gothenburg athletics. The thesis consists of several theoretical perspectives. The theory of practice architecture and ecologies of practice are used as overarching theories to identify, understand, and describe how coaches develop. Careership theory is used to explore professional development. The theoretical concept of sustainability, the theory of ethics of care and practical wisdom are used to explore a deeper understanding of sustainability. The thesis is based on an action research project where the data are produced from semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, meeting recordings, observations, and logbook notes. The results show that coaches’ professional development for creating a more sustainable elite sport takes place while reflecting with other coaches about their coaching role and their lack of knowledge. The results also show that focus on holistic perspectives and long-term processes on athletes’ development enabled the athletes to develop and perform. However, there were no structures, requirements, or support for the athletes or coaches to prioritize long-term goals over short-term goals. The coaches’ meeting practice became a forum for professional development through cooperation although the coaches’ own drive to develop the practice was constrained by the fact that there was no support from the clubs for this organized professional development. Furthermore, the results also show that the coaches expressed an ambition to develop more knowledge to be able to work towards a more sustainable elite sport, but were constrained by unclear requirements as a coach and by their athletes’ focus on results.