Although the snow is making it hard for high school athletes to practice outdoors, we’re only a little over a month away from the official start of track season. Track and cross country are great ways to compete in high school sports and stay in shape, but you may be surprised to learn just how big a toll the sport can have on a growing person’s body. According to a New York Times study of more than 60,000 high school athletes between 1979 and 1992, about 1 in 3 female cross county runners suffered an injury during the season, and those who were hurt averaged about two injuries per season. The incidence of injuries came out to a whopping 61.4 injuries per 100 runners.
The vast majority of these injuries were located in the lower body, simply because of the toll running at a competitive level takes on that part of your body. Today, we’re going to look at three of the most common types of injuries that affect cross country and track athletes, and how to prevent them.
Cross County and Track Injuries
Here’s a closer look at three lower body injuries that often affect cross county and track athletes.
1. Shin Splints – We’ve talked about shin splints on the blog in the past, and it’s no surprise that they are one of the most common setbacks suffered by young runners. Shin splints are typically caused by over-training, and this is fairly common if you haven’t been running much during the offseason. If you go from very limited runs to cross country practice every afternoon, your muscles and tendons are at a greater risk of being overworked. When they are overstressed, inflammation develops in your muscles, tendons and in the thin layer of skin covering the shin bone, making movement painful. The best way to prevent shin splints is to amp up your training regimen prior to the start of the season and to give your legs some rest if pain develops.
2. Knee Tendinitis – Tendinitis in the knee is caused by inflammation of the tendons that connect muscle to bone in your knee. There are a number of things that can cause inflammation to develop in your knee, including:
- Overstress
- Running on uneven surfaces
- Poor running shoe support
- Underdeveloped/Weakened quad muscles
- Poor running technique
- Overpronation
Similar to shin splints, tendinitis often lessens with rest, but compression straps or knee sleeves can help redistribute force and tension away from the knee. Anti-inflammatory medications can also help provide relief.
3. Sprained Ankles – If you’re in track, odds are you’re running on a pretty smooth surface, but cross country runners often don’t get the same luxury. Oftentimes cross country runners are tasked with running through woods, up dirt paths and on unpaved surfaces. If you hit a rocky patch or if you suffer from ankle instability, a sprained ankle can occur at a moment’s notice. The best way to care for a sprained ankle is with rest and some mild to moderate therapy/strengthening exercises, but the best way to prevent these injuries is to strengthen your ankle ligaments throughout the season to help combat instability. If you roll your ankle frequently, talk to a foot specialist about your condition to see if ligament strengthening surgery or therapy could prove beneficial.