Despite the many different benefits of sports on human health, many people can be exposed to some sports injuries while exercising, whether they are simple, regular exercises or when playing specific sports. Have you ever been injured, my dear, while performing your sports schedule? Do you know how to prevent sports injuries?

In this article, since we care about your physical fitness and provide your knowledge with a lot of information about various sports and all topics related to sports, we will answer all the questions that come to your mind regarding sports injuries.

Sports Injuries Information

Sports injuries occur if you are not constantly active, and sports injuries are very painful, and can involve muscles, cartilage, bones, and various parts of the body. Spinal cord and brain injuries are considered rare sports injuries that occur during exercise.

Injuries also occur in basketball and football much more than in non-contact sports such as swimming and running, knowing that injuries in general may occur in any sport, and they differ in severity, location, and the period required for healing. Some heal in a few days and some take a period. Ranging from weeks to months of rest and rehabilitation.

Sports Injuries Causes

Sports injuries do not happen on their own, and they do not necessarily happen to all athletes, but rather relate to the athlete's flexibility, skill, and adherence to the rules or not.

Here, dear, we mention to you some of the causes of sports injuries:

● The athlete is exposed to a fall.

● The athlete is injured by a strong blow.

● Doing exercises incorrectly and using sports equipment incorrectly.

● Doing violent exercises, repeating movements and pushing the body quickly and with great force.

● Children’s excessive activity makes them unaware of the capabilities of their bodies and encourages them to take risks and do exercises that may cause harm and injury to them.

● As a person ages, he is more vulnerable to many sports injuries. In addition, injuries last a long time and affect previous sports injuries and may make them worse.

● The athlete ignores minor injuries that could become worse.

● Lack of attention to injuries resulting from vigorous exercise, such as stress fractures and tendinitis, which makes them more serious injuries, knowing that if they are diagnosed early, they are easier to treat.

● Overweight leads to putting pressure on the knees, ankles, and pelvic joints, and when exercising in addition to the above, it will lead to increased pressure on these bones and increase the chance of being exposed to many sports injuries. You, ma’am, must consult a doctor to evaluate your health condition before you begin your exercise schedule.

● Exercising in cold weather. At low temperatures, your muscles, tendons, and joints are in a state of spasm, tension, and stiffness more than usual, and this increases your chance of injury while exercising.

● Exercising in hot weather. At high temperatures, your body works to cool your internal temperature, and its efficiency in cooling decreases as the temperature increases. This can lead to swelling of the lower extremities, heat edema, and heat coma due to the significant drop in your blood pressure, as well as Muscle cramps and pain due to low electrolytes and dehydration.

Sports Injuries Types

Many types of sports injuries vary depending on the severity of the injury and the sport that we were doing when injured, so come, my dear, to learn about the most common sports injuries:

Muscle stress

One of the common sports injuries is a stretch or tear in the muscles or tendons that connect the bones to the muscles. It occurs due to increased muscle contraction and tension during exercise. If appropriate treatment is not received promptly, damage to the muscle may occur and its ability to perform its functions may decrease. So come Dear reader, let us know its symptoms:

● Lack of muscle strength

● Severe pain at the site of tension

● Muscle spasm

Twist

It is one of the common sports injuries, and it occurs when the ligaments that connect the bones to each other in the joint are torn and stretched due to exposure to a strong blow or fall, causing the joint to move from its position. It can be simple or severe, so that the tear reaches the ligaments and tissues surrounding the joint as well, and the parts most vulnerable to injury are the As follows:

● Knees

● Ankles

● Wrists

Symptoms include difficulty moving the joint, feeling severe pain, swelling, and sometimes bruising.

Knee injuries

The knee is the organ most exposed to many sports injuries. It may be a simple muscle strain or a complete tear in the muscles and tissues of the knee. These sports injuries occur due to spraining the knee when exercising and landing incorrectly while jumping and running violently or for a long time and without doing warm-up exercises.

Muscle swelling

Muscle swelling after sports injuries is normal, common and natural, but it is very painful and may cause muscle weakness and a decrease in the performance of its functions. Also, sometimes swelling may lead to pressure on the nerves, blood vessels and surrounding tissues, leading to damage and severe pain in the muscle.

Achilles tendon rupture

Also called the Achilles tendon, it is a tendon that connects the lower part of the ankle to the gastrocnemius muscle and is susceptible to injury

If the pressure on it increases while exercising vigorously and for a long time or due to its weakness with age, it will tear when exposed to a blow and cause its owner sudden, severe pain and difficulty walking.

Fractions

Bone fractures are sports injuries that occur during exercise and are of two types:

Stress fractures

These are fractures that occur when the bone is exposed to great, continuous, and repetitive pressure. They usually affect players in sports that require repetitive movements, such as running and jumping, such as gymnastics.

Here are the symptoms of stress fractures:

● Feeling pain when increasing pressure on the affected organ or moving it, such as carrying something heavy, for example.

● Swelling of the affected organ.

Acute fractures

This type of fracture occurs as a result of a single strong blow to the bone, and the fractures can be simple or complex.

Dislocation of the joint

In this type of sports injury, the bone comes out of its place in the joint, and it is common in basketball and football players due to their frequent exposure to falls. The shoulder joint has the largest share of the chances of being dislocated, and the rest of the body’s joints can also be affected, such as the joints of the knees, pelvis, and elbows, but It's rare to happen.

Brain injuries

It is one of the rare sports injuries that occur due to a violent head collision. Head injuries include fractures of the skull or penetration of a foreign body that reaches the tissues. Brain injuries vary between a concussion and entering a coma and may lead to death.

Spinal cord injuries

Spinal cord injuries are rare sports injuries and may cause damage to the spinal cord and impede the transmission of nerve impulses through it.

Sports Injuries Prevention

Whether you're exercising to compete or just to stay in shape, you don't want to be left out or have to miss your workout due to injury, and we all don't like the time when we're forced to stop exercising.

Although it is impossible to prevent every sports injury, according to research conducted by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, you can reduce the rate of sports injuries by 25% if you follow prevention measures and general rules.

From this standpoint, we advise you to follow these simple steps to protect yourself from sports injuries:

Be physically fit for exercise

If you want to practice a specific sport, such as gymnastics, basketball, football, or other sports, you must develop a structured exercise schedule suitable for this sport, as it may contribute to reducing your chances of injury while practicing the sport.

Learn the rules of the sport you want to practice

As you know, the rules were created to keep things safe. Likewise, the rules in sports are designed to keep you safe when practicing them. You must learn them, adhere to them, stay away from illegal practices, and respect the referees to avoid any problems or harm resulting from violating them.

Get enough rest

 Take a break from time to time. Athletes who train for repeated consecutive days are more susceptible to sports injuries. Rest will make you stronger and reduce injuries resulting from excessive exercise, fatigue, stress, and poor judgment.

Know your ability

Do not put excessive pressure on your body when exercising, and do not perform exercises that exceed your current ability and physical fitness. Also, avoid playing when you feel pain and extreme fatigue, and do not neglect it. Rather, consult your doctor so that sports injuries do not worsen and to know when you can return to exercise.

Do warm-up and stretching exercises

Do exercises to fully and adequately warm up your body and muscles before practicing your exercise schedule, and conclude the exercises with some simple stretching and aerobic exercises (10-15 minutes). Warmed muscles have less chance of being injured, and warming up allows your body to return to its natural state slowly and reduces the occurrence of sports injuries.

Wear important protective gear

Use the appropriate tools to exercise correctly, and wear a hat and gloves in cold weather, suitable shoes for running, an appropriate bra for exercises, and gum and mouth guards when practicing boxing, and put on protective pads, knowing that protective tools are not only for weak people, but rather for everyone, and protective tools may save your knees, ears, and mouth. Your teeth and head may suffer from sports injuries, so do not play or exercise without your safety equipment.

Beware of hot weather

If you are exercising outside, check the weather and temperatures. If they become too high, you may suffer from heatstroke. Wear lighter clothing. Also, start exercising at a low intensity and drink enough water to replace lost fluids.

Beware of cold weather

If the temperature drops, running coaches recommend taking a hot bath before going out for running to increase the internal body temperature, as cold weather can exacerbate sports injuries that you may have sustained earlier. In the event of rain and snow, wear gloves, a hat, and a headband to cover your ears. And be careful not to fall.

Treat your previous injuries

Severe, complex, and more serious injuries can come from previous minor injuries, so you need to be careful and treat all your less serious injuries as soon as possible and do not let them go untreated. If you suspect that you have suffered any minor injury, you should consult your doctor or health care provider to get an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plan to prevent your injury from getting worse.

Consult a doctor according to your condition

If you suffer from a chronic disease such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or any symptom such as a cold or Corona, do not hesitate to consult a doctor and seek advice before starting your exercise schedule to avoid sports injuries.

Do cool-down exercises after exercising

In order to reduce various sports injuries, you must practice cooling exercises (cooling down) after doing the exercises, as they help return the body temperature and heart rate to normal. Make your exercise calm by ending it in a slower manner during the last 15 minutes, and do not stop it suddenly.

Sports Injuries Treatment

When you, Madam, are exposed to any sports injury, you must stop exercising and do not continue it, as continuing to move may lead to aggravation of the injury and delay its recovery for a longer time.

Sometimes the appearance of symptoms may be delayed until several hours have passed since the infection, and some infections are simple and can be managed at home, but if the symptoms do not improve after two weeks, you must consult a doctor to receive appropriate treatment according to the case.

Treating minor injuries at home

Ma'am, you can treat minor sports injuries at home. Here are some tips that may help you speed up recovery:

● Complete rest for at least 48 to 72 hours.

● Apply ice to the injury site and apply gentle pressure on the affected area.

● Raising the affected organ above the level of the heart immediately after the injury occurs, as it is the best step to reduce swelling, speed up the healing process, and obtain the best results.

● Taking anti-pain medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, as they reduce swelling in addition to their analgesic effect.

● Sufficient sleep reduces stress and helps speed up the healing of sports injuries. Sleep deprivation reduces the building of muscle protein, which leads to slow healing of muscles and other injuries.

The Best Foods to Recover from Sports Injuries

When an injury occurs, you consult a doctor to begin treatment, take the necessary measures, and rest for several weeks until it heals. Although these are the obvious and important measures that must be taken, you must focus on nutrition and not neglect it, as it is the largest contributor to your recovery process, as food plays an important role in Energy production, metabolism, hemoglobin production, fat-free mass, maintaining bone structure, strengthening immunity, and reducing inflammation.

That is, obtaining adequate and healthy nutrition means that your healing and recovery process occurs faster. Your need for calories and nutrients is higher than usual due to the body’s desire to compensate for the gradual loss of muscle mass and strength.

Here, dear, are the foods you should choose if you suffer a sports injury:

Protein

Protein is one of the important foods that should be present in your diet, as it does not allow the loss of weak muscle mass, especially if the injury requires immobilization of a part of the body. The injured person must eat the largest amount of protein to maintain the strength of his body and speed up the healing of his injury. Sometimes, due to... Injury: An athlete may reduce protein intake if other foods are present due to lack of movement, which causes slow wound healing and increases cases of inflammation.

Therefore, you, Madam, must eat a sufficient amount of protein, distributed evenly over breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This method is more effective in building muscles than eating unequal amounts of protein daily. Protein comes from eating beans, nuts, eggs, fish, chicken, turkey, and steaks. Dairy products such as cheese and milk are rich sources of protein.

Omega 3 fatty acids

It is an important food that contributes to the healing process of sports injuries due to its anti-inflammatory properties, as it can change muscle metabolism and this affects its response to exercise. Studies have shown that muscles that are fed with omega-3 fatty acids respond in a different way to human diseases, and attention must be paid to It is necessary to consume it in sufficient and regular quantities to achieve optimal benefit.

Foods rich in omega-3 acids include fatty fish, such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, cod liver oil, flax seeds, chia, walnuts, and soybeans, and products low in omega-3 acids, such as some meat, dairy products, and spinach. Dear reader, a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids will help speed up the healing of your injury. Reducing inflammation and preventing osteoporosis.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is considered one of the most important vitamins for bone health, and studies have proven its importance in skeletal muscle growth, heart and lung function, immunity, and fighting inflammation.

Despite all its benefits, vitamin D deficiency is a common occurrence among people as well as athletes, leading to complications such as osteoporosis and depression. Also, the presence of a sufficient amount of vitamin D is linked to improved athlete performance and reduced chances of injury in athletes because it plays an important role in strengthening muscles.

Sources of vitamin D: salmon, tuna, swordfish, orange juice, egg yolks, milk, and sunlight, which form vitamin D.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most important foods when sports injuries occur. It is important for the healing of wounds and bones after fracture, increases collagen production, and reduces oxidative stress.

Foods rich in vitamin C include: sweet peppers, tomatoes, citrus fruits, strawberries, and white potatoes.

Calcium

Calcium, along with vitamin D, contributes to maintaining the health and strength of bones in athletes. For example, there are many benefits of doing weightlifting exercises on bone health, but in the absence of sufficient nutrients and calories, the athlete will be exposed to the risk of osteoporosis, and calcium is available in dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, orange juice, canned sardines, almonds and salmon.

Zinc

It is an important mineral for its role as an antioxidant, strengthening immunity, muscles, physical performance, and reducing injuries as we age. Its food sources include: dairy products, oysters, whole grains, poultry, red meat, nuts, and chickpeas.

Magnesium

Magnesium plays an important role in the prevention and recovery of sports injuries. It participates in many biological processes. It also maintains the strength of the heart, blood pressure, immune system, and muscle and nerve functions normally. It controls blood sugar levels and enhances the absorption of calcium. Among its food sources: black beans. Seeds, nuts, spinach, yogurt and dark chocolate.

Although, my dear, sports injuries are sad and discouraging and may cause you depression, you should not give up, and following a proper nutritional system, sleeping adequately, reducing stress, and implementing the advice of your health care provider will contribute greatly to your regaining your health and returning to practicing your sports schedule and things. Which you would love to do again. For more information and articles about fitness, do not hesitate to follow Farashti magazine or follow Sarah’s Pop Fit programs and challenges via YouTube videos.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sports Injuries

● What is the best way to relieve muscle cramps after exercise?

We advise you, Madam, to take a warm bath after exercising, as it will relieve spasms, relieve pain, and relax the muscles.

● When should I consult a doctor when exercising?

When you feel chest pain during or after exercise, and if you suspect a fracture in one of your body parts, as well as if there is bleeding, severe pain, or hearing a crackling sound in the joint.

● What are heat cramps?

It is usually the occurrence of tightness in the muscles of the forearm, leg, or abdomen after completing exercise, and is due to a lack of fluids and salts.

● What are the most important sources of protein after exercise for women?

Scrambled or boiled eggs.

● How long does muscle pain last after exercising for the first time?

It lasts about two or three days.

● When do I stop exercising?

If you feel severe shortness of breath, muscle pain, fever, or fatigue.

● When do I drink water when I exercise?

Drink water no more than half an hour after you finish exercising.

Written By: Haidy Soliman

Sources:

Verywellfit

Foodsforsports

Mayoclinic