An injury prevention program is able to reduce the number of injury complaints at medium-term in athletics.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of injuries in athletics is important, with consequences at short and long terms in sport, health, social and professional levels. It is therefore important to define strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of injuries in athletics. The objective of this study was to determine whether an injury prevention program (IPP) can reduce the occurrence and/or severity of injuries related to the practice of athletics.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The IPP has been developed, based on current scientific knowledge, targeting exercises on the most common injuries in athletics (hamstring muscle injury, Achilles and patellar tendinopathy, low back pain, ankle sprain) and selecting exercises known to treat and/or prevent these injuries (care stability, hamstrings and leg eccentric muscle strengthening, pelvis balance and stabilizing work). IPP takes about 15minutes, 2 to 3 times per week, with progression levels. During the 2014-2015 athletic season, the IPP has been proposed in an athletic population, youth to senior at competition level and training at least 3 times a week, in who training loads, IPP compliance and injury complaints were collected.

RESULTS: To date, 34 athletes were included and achieved 16 weeks of training including IPP. There was a significant correlation between the average number of IPP per week and number of weeks with an injury complaint (r=-0.415; P=0.02). The comparison between athletes who achieved the IPP least once a week and those having realized at least once a week found a significant difference in the number of weeks with an injury complaint (3.4±1 3 vs. 1.3±2.4, respectively, P=0.04). The survival curve of the two groups showed a protective effect of IPP on the occurrence of an injury (P=0.05).

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: These preliminary results were encouraging and reported that a suitable program, developed on a scientific basis and regularly performed, allowing a protective effect of the medium-term injury (of 4 months of training).