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Kids and teens who specialize in a single sport sustain more stress fractures, tendinitis, ligament tears, and musculoskeletal overuse damage.  Brown University epidemiologists and Boston Children Hospital orthopedists analyzed data from more than 10,000 youths over the past 22 years.

 

More serious injuries occur in those who exclusively play one sport, practice and play intensively, and in girls than in boys.  Girls bumped their injury risk by 30%.   For boys injury risk and severity rose when they played baseball or participated in gymnastics or cheerleading.

 

The investigators suggest that young athletes principally playing a single sport add a second one recreationally to spread physical stress over around their bodies.  They also recommend variations in practice workout exercises to achieve moderation in physical exertion.

 

Alison E. Field, Frances A. Tepolt, Daniel S. Yang, Mininder S. Kocher. Injury Risk Associated With Sports Specialization and Activity Volume in Youth. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 2019; 7 (9): 232596711987012 DOI: 10.1177/2325967119870124

 

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