THR | Which is more dangerous - CrossFit or Statistics?

We're joined for week 2 with Professor Billy. This week we look at more click-bait and ask the question: Is CrossFit Dangerous?

Believe it or not, this is a tough question to answer with any resemblance of scientific data. First and foremost - can we even define "CrossFit"? Can we deem something safe or dangerous for which there is no specific and consistent applicable practice? If an athlete is injured at a CrossFit affiliate while doing a 5k Run - were they "doing CrossFit"? What if they were doing a bench press?

Secondly, how can we go about selecting a population to study? There are infinite variables at play that are yet to be addressed in a controlled study.

We also discuss the idea of rate. Meaning - how often is someone injured in relation to the total number of hours of participation? Just like a commute to work - we would assume the 2 hour/day commuter has a higher likelihood of a crash than a 2 minute/day commuter.

In exercise, "experts" are, unfortunately, often satisfied with anecdotal evidence. "I knew someone who..." "We've seen a lot of folks who..." Our hope with this episode is that we can arm the listeners (especially those who speak authoritatively on fitness) with the tools to take a more objective look at the evidence either in support of or against a certain exercise program.