Abstract
INTRODUCTION: CrossFit is defined as high-intensity functional movements comprising gymnastics, Olympic weightlifting and interval training. Contrary to popular belief, CrossFit participants are not inherently more injury-prone compared to other sports. However, shoulder injuries are the most common musculoskeletal injury in CrossFit, and these are attributed to a range of risk factors.
AIM: The study aimed to identify the prevalence and risk factors associated with shoulder injuries among CrossFit members in Johannesburg.
METHOD: Data collection for the study occurred in two phases. In Phase 1, 117 participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that gathered information on their training habits and injury history. In Phase 2, ten participants who between 2021 and 2022 had sustained a shoulder injury resulting from CrossFit participation, underwent shoulder range of motion and muscle strength tests. Participants were selected for Phase 2 based on their injury history. Descriptive and inferential statistics including Pearson chi-square tests were used to analyse participant demographics and compare injury incidence between genders.
RESULTS: The shoulder emerged as the most frequently injured joint, accounting for 29.4% of all injuries. Injuries predominantly occurred during workouts of the day (WoDs) (40.7%) and strength training sessions (34.1%). Fatigue (28.5%), improper form (26.9%), and using a weight that was too heavy (20%) were identified as primary risk factors. No statistically significant difference in injury prevalence was found between the male and female participants. In the research conducted, comparing injuries in male and female participants for both October 2022 to March 2024 (p = 0.165) and prior to October 2022 (p = 0.401), there was no statistically significant finding of one gender being more prone to injury. However, males had a higher incidence of multiple injuries between October 2022 to March 2024 (22.2%) and before October 2022 (27.8%). In Phase 2, participants exhibited low flexibility performance in internal and external shoulder rotators compared to normative data, and their stabilising shoulder muscles exhibited great deficits.
CONCLUSION: Some participants exhibited tightness in the infraspinatus, subscapularis, pectoralis major, and teres major and minor. Muscle weakness was also observed in the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and both anterior and posterior deltoids. The unexplored risk factors for shoulder injuries in CrossFit athletes are the flexibility and strength of specific shoulder muscles. These findings are crucial for biokineticists and CrossFit trainers aiming to implement injury prevention strategies and mitigate the injury-prone reputation of the sport. Professionals can work towards enhancing athlete safety and performance by focusing on these factors.