THE ASSOCIATION AND DIFFERENCES OF OVERUSE INJURY OCCURRENCES AND TRAINING RELATED SUPPORTIVE FACTORS IN ETHIOPIAN YOUTH RUNNING ATHLETES

Runners sustain injuries at an alarming rate. According to various epidemiologic studies (Rochcongar P, Pernes J, Carre F, et al. 1995; Walter SD, Hart LE, McIntosh JM, et al, 1989), between 27% and 70% of recreational and competitive distance runners can expect to be injured during any 1-year period. Overuse Injury was defined as an injury that causes pain during exercise loading without any noticeable external cause of injury (Beck 1998). Accordingly Different running-loading characteristics, overuse injury profiles and gender differences in injuries were investigated. In addition, training related risk factors for overuse injuries in Short, middle and long distance athletes were studied. This twelve-month retrospective questionnaire study comprised Ethiopian athletics training centres? ( TiruneshDibaba , Maychew, Bekoji, Hagerselam, Debrebirhan and Ethiopian Sport Academy) running athletes Short distance (n=65), Middle distance (n=75), and Long distance (n=64) aged 16?21. There was a difference in training related and supportive factors between overuse injured and uninjured athletes (Age, training age, BMI, annual Training exposure hours, weekly training hours and frequency, annual mileage, Rest and recovery days per week and Worming up length and frequency). However no association of gender and occurrence of overuse injury were found as a whole and split events of athletes (short, middle and long). Thus there are training related and supportive factors differences between athletes overuse injured and uninjured.