Systematic Review of the Association Between Physical Fitness and Musculoskeletal Injury Risk: Part 2—Muscular Endurance and Muscular Strength

Abstract

de la Motte, SJ, Gribbin, TC, Lisman, P, Murphy, K, and Deuster, PA. A systematic review of the association between physical fitness and musculoskeletal injury risk: part 2-muscular endurance and muscular strength. J Strength Cond Res 31(11): 3218-3234, 2017-This is a systematic review and evaluation of the current evidence on the association between both muscular endurance (ME) and muscular strength (MS) and musculoskeletal injury (MSK-I) risk in military and civilian populations. MEDLINE, EBSCO, EMBASE, and the Defense Technical Information Center were searched for original studies published from 1970 through 2015 which examined associations between physical fitness (ME and MS) and MSK-I in military or civilian populations. Methodological quality and strength of the evidence were determined following criteria adapted from previously published systematic reviews. Forty-five of 4,229 citations met our inclusion criteria. Although results for some tests did vary by sex, taken together, our primary findings indicate there is (a) a strong evidence that poor performance in a push-up test is associated with MSK-I risk; (b) moderate evidence that poor performance in sit-up test is associated with MSK-I risk; (c) moderate evidence that isokinetic ankle and knee flexion strength, and isometric strength assessments at the back, elbow, or knee are associated with MSK-I risk; and (d) limited evidence that poor performance in a pull-up test and isotonic assessments of muscular strength are associated with MSK-I. Several measures of ME/MS are moderately or strongly associated with risk of MSK-I, but additional research is needed to identify and recommend specific assessments of ME/MS that predict MSK-I in both men and women. Future studies should also consider measures of ME and MS as a function of upper body, lower body, and core strength, and their potential association with specific, rather than general, MSK-I.

The relationship between physical fitness attributes and sports injury in female, team ball sport players: a systematic review

“…Conversely, inconclusive evidence for muscle imbalance as a risk factor of injury has been determined, as insufficient evidence was available to support the use of isokinetic muscle testing as a screening test to support common practices in male premier soccer leagues [ 112 ]. Similarly, there was limited evidence to support the association between isoinertial muscle testing and musculoskeletal injury risk in military and athletic populations, whereas a moderate association was reported between isometric muscle testing and musculoskeletal injury risk; however, the direction of association was not determined [ 113 ]. Whilst the summary conclusion from this review was deemed as no association between muscular strength and sports injury, a moderate level of certainty combined with these inconsistent findings in the literature highlights the need for high-quality research in homogeneous populations to better our understanding of muscle strength and its association with sports injury.…”

Comparison of single- and multi-joint lower body resistance training upon strength increases in recreationally active males and females: a within-participant unilateral training study

“…3 Moreover, RT has been suggested as a valuable tool for preventing and treating sports injury. 4,5 However, RT adherence remains low. 6 With this in mind, a growing body of research has considered more time-efficient approaches of reduced volume RT, for example single-set protocols of 10 exercises lasting only 20 minutes per session, 7 or even fewer - where a full-body workout lasted 12-15 minutes and consisted of only 5 multi-joint (MJ) exercises (pulldown, chest press, seated row, overhead press and leg press) 8 .…”

“…Hamstring strength is particularly important for injury rehabilitation and prevention. 16,17 Poor knee flexion strength has been associated with injury risk, 4,5 and regaining quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength are important rehabilitation goals. 18,19 However, we should question whether this is best done using SJ and/or MJ exercises, when, during MJ exercises, biarticular muscles shorten at one joint whilst lengthening at the other joint (e.g.…”

Active and Fit Communities. Associations between Neighborhood Walkability and Health-Related Fitness in Adults

“…MST reflects an individual's ability to exert maximal or near-maximal force of a muscle group against an external resistance [1,3]. Higher MST is associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality [14][15][16], weight gain [17], adverse cardiovascular-related outcomes [11,15,18], metabolic syndrome [7,19], injury [20], and better self-reported health [21] and quality of life [22]. Development and maintenance of MST is particularly important among older adults to reduce the risk of chronic disease (e.g., osteoporosis), falls, physical impairment, and to counteract sarcopenia [23].…”