Injury prevalence and risk factors in national-level female sprinters – six-months prospective observational study

OBJECTIVES: This prospective cohort observational study aimed to describe the prevalence of injuries among national-level female sprinters and to explore associations between event types (curved versus straight line) and other relevant factors. METHOD: A total of 81 Japanese female sprinters competing at the national level participated in this study, of whom 41 (50.6%) specialized in straight line events. The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center overuse injury questionnaire was distributed every other week for six months (overall response rate was 46.3%). Additionally, athletes completed a survey and performed a single-leg squat test once at the beginning. RESULTS: < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Limited sleep and specialization in curved events were significant risk factors for substantial injuries among national-level female sprinters. These findings highlight potentially important factors for injury monitoring and prevention strategies in sprint athletes, while reflecting associations observed within this cohort.