The proposal of a new educational-pedagogical training program to prevent muscle strain in élite fencers: a case study

Abstract

Fencing is an open skill, asymmetrical sport with high psychological demand and impact on the musculoskeletal system which could expose fencers to several injuries. Most common types of time-loss injuries mainly occurred in the lower extremities of soft tissues and are related to intrinsic factors such as specific sports gestures (i.e. lunging). The modern fencing requires the acquisition of a new performance model in which we must consider the cognitive feature of performance. This new way of building a fencing exercise program could also provide a new point of view to prevent injuries. Starting from considering training as a complex educational-pedagogical process, this article is a descriptive-observational case report. The aim is to propose a preliminary methodological model to train élite fencers after a muscle hamstring strain.