Citation

Hadala M, Barrios C. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2009; 41(8): 1587-1596.

Affiliation

Department of Physiology and Orthopaedics and Trauma Unit, Department of Surgery, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1249/MSS.0b013e31819c0de7

PMID

19568201

Abstract

PURPOSE:: To analyze the effectiveness in reducing the number of sport injuries after application of different strategies of preventive physiotherapy during competition periods in an America's Cup yachting crew. METHODS:: A prospective physiotherapy intervention study during competition periods for three seasons was conducted on an America's Cup yachting race crew of 30 professional sailors. In the first two acts (2004), athletes did not receive any preventive physiotherapy. In the two acts celebrated in 2005, preventive intervention (phase 1) consisted of stretching exercises before the yacht race and preventative taping. During the four acts corresponding to the 2006 season, the physiotherapy program was implemented adding articular mobilization before competition, ice baths after competition, and kinesiotaping (phase 2). In the last act and the Louis Vuitton Cup (2007), a recovery program with "core stability" exercises, post-competition stretching exercises, and 12 h of compressive clothing were added (phase 3). RESULTS:: In the pre-intervention phase (2004), the rate of injured sailors/competition day was 1.66, decreasing to 0.60 in 2007 (phase 3). The number of athletes with more than one injury was significantly reduced from 53% (8 of 15) to 6.5% (2 of 12). In the pre-intervention period, mastmen, grinders, and bowmen showed a rate of 2.88 injuries per competition day. After phase 3, this group only suffered 0.35 injuries per competition day. CONCLUSIONS:: The implementation of a program of preventive physiotherapy decreased the risk of injuries suffered during competition by an America's Cup yacht crew.

Language: en