Incidences of injuries, muscle injuries and hamstring muscle injuries per 1000 registered athletes and relative risks (RR) of injury with lower and upper limits of 95% of CI (±95% CI) in male and female athletes during outdoor (WOC 2007, WOC 2009, WOC 2011, WOC 2013, OG 2012, EOC 2012, EOC 2014) and indoor (WIC 2014, EIC 2009, EIC 2011, EIC 2013, EIC 2015) championships
| Outdoor championships | Indoor championships | Outdoor and indoor championships | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | RR (95% CI) | Male | Female | RR (95% CI) | Male | Female | RR (95% CI) | |
| Incidence of injuries | |||||||||
| All*† | 123.8±8.0 | 95.8±7.7 | 1.29 (1.17 to 1.43)‡ small | 72.7±3.2 | 52.0±2.9 | 1.40 (1.05 to 1.87)‡ small | 113.7±8.4 | 87.5±8.2 | 1.30 (1.18 to 1.43)‡ small |
| In training*† | 29.6±4.1 | 24.7±4.1 | 1.20 (0.97 to 1.49) trivial | 3.7±0.7 | 4.6±0.9 | 0.81 (0.26 to 2.51) small | 24.5±4.2 | 20.8±4.2 | 1.18 (0.95 to 1.46) trivial |
| In competition*† | 92.3±7.0 | 70.2±6.7 | 1.39 (1.23 to 1.57)‡ small | 68.9±3.1 | 47.4±2.8 | 1.45 (1.07 to 1.97)‡ small | 87.7±7.6 | 65.9±7.2 | 1.33 (1.19 to 1.49)‡ small |
| Time-loss injuries*† | 57.9±5.7 | 46.3±5.5 | 1.27 (1.08 to 1.49)‡ small | 31.7±2.1 | 18.4±1.7 | 1.73 (1.07 to 2.79)‡ small | 52.7±6.0 | 41.0±5.8 | 1.29 (1.11 to 1.49)‡ small |
| Time-loss in-competition injuries*† | 46.9±5.1 | 36.9±5.0 | 1.27 (1.07 to 1.51) small | 31.7±2.1 | 17.6±1.7 | 1.80 (1.11 to 2.93)‡ small | 43.9±5.5 | 33.2±5.2 | 1.32 (1.12 to 1.56)‡ small |
| Incidence of muscle injuries | |||||||||
| All*† | 57.9±5.7 | 32.9±4.0 | 1.76 (1.48 to 2.09)‡ small | 27.3±2.0 | 19.1±1.5 | 1.43 (0.88 to 2.32) small | 51.9±6.0 | 30.3±4.3 | 1.71 (1.45 to 2.01)‡ small |
| In training*† | 13.4±2.8 | 9.5±2.2 | 1.41 (1.00 to 1.98)‡ small | 1.9±0.5 | 2.3±0.5 | 0.81 (0.16 to 4.02) small | 11.2±2.8 | 8.2±2.2 | 1.37 (0.98 to 1.90) small |
| In competition* | 44.2±5.0 | 23.4±3.4 | 1.89 (1.54 to 2.31)‡ small | 25.5±1.9 | 16.8±1.4 | 1.51 (0.91 to 2.53) small | 40.5±5.3 | 22.2±3.6 | 1.83 (1.51 to 2.21)‡ small |
| Time-loss injuries*† | 33.2±4.3 | 17.5±2.9 | 1.90 (1.50 to 2.41)‡ moderate | 17.4±1.6 | 9.2±1.0 | 1.89 (0.97 to 3.71) small | 30.0±4.6 | 15.9±3.1 | 1.89 (1.51 to 2.36)‡ small |
| Time-loss in-competition injuries* | 27.0±3.9 | 14.6±2.7 | 1.85 (1.43 to 2.41)‡ small | 17.4±1.6 | 9.2±1.0 | 1.89 (0.97 to 3.71) small | 25.1±4.2 | 13.6±2.9 | 1.85 (1.45 to 2.36)‡ small |
| Incidence of hamstring muscle injuries§ | |||||||||
| All* | 25.5±3.2 | 12.9±2.1 | 1.97 (1.41 to 2.76)‡ moderate | 11.6±1.2 | 6.6±0.8 | 1.75 (0.72 to 4.28) small | 22.4±3.4 | 11.5±2.2 | 1.94 (1.42 to 2.66)‡ moderate |
| In training* | 6.2±1.6 | 3.2±1.0 | 1.92 (0.98 to 3.77) moderate | 0.8±0.3 | 0.9±0.3 | 0.82 (0.05 to 13.1) small | 5.0±1.6 | 2.7±1.1 | 1.83 (0.95 to 3.52) small |
| In competition* | 19.3±2.8 | 9.7±1.8 | 1.99 (1.35 to 2.93)‡ moderate | 10.8±1.1 | 5.7±0.7 | 1.91 (0.74 to 4.95) moderate | 17.4±3.0 | 8.8±1.9 | 1.98 (1.38 to 2.83)‡ moderate |
| Time-loss injuries | 14.4±2.4 | 8.6±1.7 | 1.67 (1.10 to 2.55)‡ small | 8.5±1.0 | 4.7±0.7 | 1.80 (0.63 to 5.16) small | 13.1±2.6 | 7.8±1.8 | 1.69 (1.14 to 2.50)‡ small |
| Time-loss in-competition injuries | 11.5±2.2 | 7.0±1.5 | 1.65 (1.03 to 2.63)‡ small | 8.5±1.0 | 4.7±0.7 | 1.80 (0.63 to 5.16) small | 10.9±2.4 | 6.5±1.7 | 1.67 (1.09 to 2.56)‡ small |
EOC 2010, WIC 2008 and WIC 2010 were excluded since information on gender was missing for 17.6%, 66.7% and 21.9% of injuries, respectively; OG 2008 was excluded since information on circumstances, event and time loss was missing for 45%, 31% and 30% of injuries, respectively.
There were significantly more muscle injuries during competitions than in training for both sexes for outdoor, indoor and total championships (p<0.05). There were no differences in the distribution of training and in-competition muscle injuries between female and male athletes (p>0.05).
There were significantly more in-competition hamstring injuries than training hamstring injuries in male and female athletes for outdoor, indoor and total championships (except for indoor championships for female athletes) (p<0.05). There were no differences in the distribution of training and in-competition muscle injuries between female and male athletes (p>0.05).
*Significant difference between outdoor and indoor championships for male athletes (p<0.05).
†Significant difference between outdoor and indoor championships for female athletes (p<0.05).
‡Significant relative risk between male and female athletes (p<0.05).
§Data from WOC 2007, OG 2012 and EIC 2009 were excluded since these competition studies did not specifically record hamstring injuries but only thigh injuries.