Characterization of Beginner Crossfit athletes in the city of Bucaramanga – Colombia / Caracterização de atletas iniciais de Crossfit na cidade de Bucaramanga - Colômbia

Abstract

Introduction: In the last decade, the practice of CrossFit has become a training alternative that involves high intensity functional movements, which is why it has been increasing its practice exponentially, to this  is added  the  commercial and marketing component in Colombia to through  television programs. However, due to the complexity and demand in its performance, it has resulted in a discipline where certain indications and precautions must be followed, which raises concerns in health and training professionals, related to those people who start their practice.  Objective: The  purpose  of  the  study  was  to characterize the most frequent injuries in beginning CrossFit athletes. Methodology: This cross-sectional study had a sample of 43 athletes, from gyms dedicated to training in  this discipline, including the only  two  BOX  centers  Certified  by  the  CrossFit  company  in  the  city  of  Bucaramanga.  The information gathering technique was a closed interview. This study was approved by the ethics committee of Unidades Tecnológicas de Santander. Results:The mean age was 29 years, 54% female. 41% of the population reported 1 to 2 years of experience, followed by 3 to 4 years with 25.5%. The body mass index (BMI) was 24.97 ± 2.6 Kg / m2. 53.5% of the athletes trained an average of  4  to  5  times  per  week.  65%  reported  a  day  off  in  the  training  week,  the  majority  (95%) reported supervision and advice from a professional. The regions of the body with the highest reported  number  of  injuries  are:  shoulder  (26%),  knee  (16.2%)  and  spine  in  the  lumbar  area (14.5%).  The  most  recurrent  type  of  injury  was  tendonitis  (55%)  and  muscle  tear  (15%).  Conclusion: The  professionals  who  supervise  the  beginner  athlete  (1-3  years)  should  focus the adequate execution of the movements that involve the regions identified in the study, in the realization of the Work of the Day (WOD). Therefore, these injuries are the product of the high repetitions (volume) and loads (intensity) that involve these joints, characteristic of the discipline.