A prospective study on the impact of low back injury on competitive performance in track and field throwing athletes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to prospectively characterize non-time-loss low back injuries in relation to total practice hours and athletic performance among collegiate track and field throwers. Data were collected using a 12-week practice diary, and comparisons were made among three groups: non-injured, non-time-loss injury, and time-loss injury groups. Total practice time was significantly greater in the non-injured group compared to both the non-time-loss and time-loss injury groups (p<0.03), with no significant difference observed between the non-time-loss and time-loss groups (p＝0.97). Performance was significantly higher in the non-injured group compared to the other two groups (p<0.03), while no significant difference was found between the non-time-loss and time-loss groups (p＝0.86). These findings suggest that non-time-loss low back injuries may not only reduce training time, but also negatively impact athletic performance due to persistent low back pain.