Injuries in Competitive Austrian Gymnasts

Background: Competitive gymnastics is a physically demanding sport that requires flexibility, coordination, endurance and strength. The biomechanics of the sport also result in a specific injury profile. Methods: A total of 30 gymnasts from the Austrian national team (21.9±3.9 years) and 25 competitive gymnasts not affiliated with the national team (22.8±6.4 years) provided information on their injuries of a 3-year period (2018-2020) via an online survey. The injury rate per 1000 hours of training was calculated and injuries were stratified by severity, injured body structure and the localization of the injury. Mann Whitney U and Chi-square tests were used to examine differences between national team and non-national team gymnasts. Results: A total of 64 injuries were reported, which resulted in 0.4 injuries per 1000 hours of training. There was no difference in injury rate per training hours; national team members, however, reported significantly more injuries per person compared to their non-national team peers (1.4±1.1 vs. 0.8±1.0; p=0,04). The most common tissue affected by injuries were tendons and ligaments (59%) while muscle injuries were the least common injuries (11%). Almost half of the injuries (47%) affected the lower extremities, with ankle injuries being the most common ones. Roughly 80% of injuries were considered minor to moderate and could be treated via outpatient care. Across the different disciplines of gymnastics most injuries were reported during floor routines (36%) followed by vault (16%). Conclusion: Injury risk was directly associated with training volume. Severe injuries, however, were rare even in highly competitive gymnasts.