Pedagogical risk factors for functional state disorders of the musculoskeletal system in young track and field athletes (running, long jump)

Abstract

Objective: tto identify potential pedagogical causes for disorders in the functional state of the musculoskeletal system in young track and field athletes. Materials and methods: following activities were performed: analysis of 10 training programs used across Russia for young track and field athletes in terms of physiological, biomechanical and pedagogical content; study of results from questionnaire survey conducted among coaches of young track and field athletes; interpretation of the data obtained with the aim to identify key pedagogical risk factors resulting in physiological and biomechanical preconditions for chronic and acute injuries of musculoskeletal system in young track and field athletes. Results: analysis of 550 exercises recommended for general and special conditioning of young track and field athletes was instrumental in determining 6 sets of exercises subject to special attention or absolute forbidding in the said athletes. Exercises included in the sets amounted to about 10%. The findings of the survey conducted among 11 coaches revealed that the greatest challenges for them represented physiology and bioenergetics of youth sports as well as pedagogical concepts for minimizing chronic and acute injuries of the musculoskeletal system. Conclusions: there are risk factors that may be of great importance as deduced from the study in addition to those considered by earlier literature references. They include common weak aspects in the training programs, grave errors in deciding on conditioning and special exercises for these cohorts, lack of adequate competencies among coaches.

Keywords

• track and field athletes
• youth athletes
• risk factors
• musculoskeletal system