ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In the period between 2020 and 2023, during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, many countries released their restriction measures so that individuals were able to begin practicing physical exercises and outdoor sports again. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the physical exercise behavior, symptoms of respiratory tract infection, and training practice, as well as aspects of pain and injuries in the lower limbs of adults during periods of lockdown oscillations in the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. METHODS: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 502 adults were evaluated during two consecutive years of the COVID-19 pandemic, corresponding to the years 2021 and 2022. A virtual questionnaire was applied using the Google Forms platform through a link, or a Quick Response Code available in social media environments. The variables collected were: anthropometric characteristics, presence of comorbidities, clinical history for the diagnosis of COVID-19, and behavior related to physical exercise practices, divided into five topics: (1) physical exercise habits; (2) symptoms and health care utilization; (3) habit of practicing physical exercise in relation to the prevention of COVID-19; (4) preventive measures for COVID-19; and (5) feelings and reasons for practicing exercises. RESULTS: A total 79.0% of the participants returned to the practice of physical exercise after a period of social isolation due to COVID-19, with running (30.0%) and muscle strength training (50.0%) being the most prevalent modalities, in which 62.0% of practitioners carried out the activity individually, without any professional or technical monitoring. With regard to physical preparation, 61.0% reported performing pre-training stretching, 64.0% associated with muscular resistance training. Of these, 89% did not report current injuries or pain symptoms when returning to exercise (69.0%). Total of 60.5% reported experiencing respiratory tract symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a consultation with a doctor, and 61.0% performed diagnostic test, with RT-PCR (Real time-polymerase chain reaction) being the most common test. Of those tested, 55.0% were positive for COVID-19, without the need for hospitalization (95.0%). The most commonly used measures for the prevention of COVID-19 were the fabric or surgical mask. The predominant feeling in the pandemic was anxiety (50.5%) and the reasons for practicing sports were: physical conditioning (30.9%), a feeling of pleasure (21.3%), and weight loss (20.3%). CONCLUSION: After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2021-2022), with periods of lockdown, there were low reports of injuries and pain symptoms after exercising on the return to physical exercise practices of running and strength training. However, the restrictions negatively affected the exercise behavior due to respiratory tract symptoms of COVID-19 and a reduction in training intensity, performed without any professional or technical supervision. The participants reported the use of a fabric or surgical mask for the prevention of COVID-19, and an increased feeling of anxiety. The reasons given for practicing physical exercise were physical conditioning, a feeling of pleasure, and weight loss.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Trail running is popular worldwide, but there is no preventive intervention for running-related injury (RRI). AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of adding online tailored advice (TrailS6 ) to general advice on (1) the prevention of RRIs and (2) the determinants and actual preventive behaviour in Dutch trail runners. METHODS: Two-arm randomised controlled trial over 6 months. 232 trail runners were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. All participants received online general advice on RRI prevention 1 week after baseline. Every 2 weeks, participants in the intervention group received specific advice tailored to their RRI status. The control group received no further intervention. Bayesian mixed models were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Trail runners in the intervention group sustained 13% fewer RRIs compared with those in the control group after 6 months of follow-up (absolute risk difference -13.1%, 95% Bayesian highest posterior credible interval (95% BCI) -23.3 to -3.1). A preventive benefit was observed in one out of eight trail runners who had received the online tailored advice for 6 months (number needed to treat 8, 95% BCI 3 to 22). No significant between-group difference was observed on the determinants and actual preventive behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: Online tailored advice prevented RRIs among Dutch trail runners. Therefore, online tailored advice may be used as a preventive component in multicomponent RRI prevention programmes. No effect was observed on determinants and actual preventive behaviours. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: The Netherlands National Trial Register (NTR5431).
Subject(s)
Athletic Injuries/prevention & control , Counseling/methods , Running/injuries , Adult , Bayes Theorem , Female , Humans , Internet , Male , Middle Aged , NetherlandsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Professional swimmers are often affected by a high number of injuries due to their large amount of training. The occurrence of musculoskeletal pain during an important tournament has not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and its characteristics in professional swimmers. Secondary objectives included evaluating the swimmers' injury history over the previous 12 months, and examining the association of the presence of pain with personal and training characteristics of the swimmers. DESIGN: Observational, cross-sectional study. METHOD: Two-hundred and fifty-seven swimmers who participated in the Brazilian Swimming Championship were included in the study and answered a questionnaire about personal and training characteristics, presence of pain, and injuries in the previous 12 months. The relative risk of presence of pain was calculated for the following variables: gender, BMI, stroke specialty, swimmer's position, strength training, practice of another physical activity, and previous injuries. RESULTS: The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain was about 20%, with 60% of swimmers reporting at least one injury in the previous 12 months. The shoulder was the most commonly affected region and tendinopathy was the most common type of previous injury. No significant relationships were found between the presence of pain and personal or training characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in professional swimmers participating in the most important Brazilian national tournament was approximately 20%, while the majority of participants reported previous injuries in many areas. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2c.
ABSTRACT
QUESTIONS: Is Kinesio Taping more effective than a sham taping/placebo, no treatment or other interventions in people with musculoskeletal conditions? Is the addition of Kinesio Taping to other interventions more effective than other interventions alone in people with musculoskeletal conditions? DESIGN: Systematic review of randomised trials. PARTICIPANTS: People with musculoskeletal conditions. INTERVENTION: Kinesio Taping was compared with sham taping/placebo, no treatment, exercises, manual therapy and conventional physiotherapy. OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain intensity, disability, quality of life, return to work, and global impression of recovery. RESULTS: Twelve randomised trials involving 495 participants were included in the review. The effectiveness of the Kinesio Taping was tested in participants with: shoulder pain in two trials; knee pain in three trials; chronic low back pain in two trials; neck pain in three trials; plantar fasciitis in one trial; and multiple musculoskeletal conditions in one trial. The methodological quality of eligible trials was moderate, with a mean of 6.1 points on the 10-point PEDro Scale score. Overall, Kinesio Taping was no better than sham taping/placebo and active comparison groups. In all comparisons where Kinesio Taping was better than an active or a sham control group, the effect sizes were small and probably not clinically significant or the trials were of low quality. CONCLUSION: This review provides the most updated evidence on the effectiveness of the Kinesio Taping for musculoskeletal conditions. The current evidence does not support the use of this intervention in these clinical populations. PROSPERO registration: CRD42012003436.
