The purpose of this study was to identify the training preparation, health profiles and self-reported injuries of World Masters Athletes.
After the completion of the 2017 World Masters Games (WMG) in New Zealand, 1,221 consenting Masters athletes were invited via email to participate in a 15-minute online Qualtrics survey. The survey included questions for participant demographics, health profiles, injury history and recovery status, sporting and training history, and injuries sustained during the WMG. Informed consent was provided prior to the survey commencement. Ethical approval was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee of our institution.
From 1221 World Masters athletes invited to participate in the study, 49% completed the survey (47% male), with a mean age of 56.7 (10.7) years and a Body Mass Index of 25.7 (4.5) kg/m2. 9.3% of athletes reported competing in two or more sports during the Games, 10.4% reported training preparation of less than one month, while 62.7% reported training for at least six months prior to the Games. 70.8% athletes reported usually or always performing a warmup, with most athletes performing a combination of running/jogging, sport specific skills, and stretching activities. While 33.8% athletes reported sustaining an injury in the previous 12 months, 27.6% reported entering the Games with a pre-existing injury. Of the injured athletes, 41.7% reported seeking treatment from a physiotherapist, and 17.2% from a medical doctor. 16.9% of athletes reported sustaining an injury during the Games, with 64.0% injuries being in the lower limb, 20.7% in the upper limb and 7.2% in the back and neck. The majority of injuries reported (48.6%) were muscle strains, while 18.0% were tendon injuries, 7.2% joint sprains and 2.7% bone injuries.
World Masters athletes were mainly healthy and most prepared for the multi-day multi-sport competition. Most athletes performed warm-up activities, although not many incorporated strengthening in their programs. The majority of injuries reported during the Games were to the lower limb and were muscle strains.Only some athletes with pre-existing injuries sought physiotherapy or medical care prior to the Games.
Masters athletes should commence training preparation well prior to the Games.
Masters athletes preparing for major Games are advised to seek physiotherapy or medical care for pre-existing injuries to ensure full recovery prior to competition.
Masters athletes should include strengthening activities in their training programs as a muscle injury prevention strategy.
Multi-sport games
Masters Games
