Sports Injuries, Recovery and Prevention

By Michael Hordern

A sport injury refers to any bruises, cuts, cramps, strains or fractures that occur during sports activities. Other painful conditions are shin splints, ligament strains and hamstring strains.

Sports injuries can be avoided by using the correct technique and right equipment for your particular sport. Make sure that you do proper warm-ups before starting any physical activity.

Although getting back your physical fitness after a sport injury is challenging, there are many post-injury exercises that can help rehabilitate your injured area and build up your strength. A carefully designed sports injuries program may help you improve your fitness level and get back into shape. A training regimen is comprised of exercises that help strengthen your injured limbs, joints or ligaments. Not only does it suit your body and strengthen your injured area, but it also improves your cardiovascular system and tones your muscles.

If you are trying to recover from an injury, it is important to eat right foods. Consume lots of proteins, vitamins and minerals. Supplements can also help repair damaged tissues and ligaments.

Common Injuries

A muscle pull occurs when muscle fibres are stretched beyond their capacity due to a significant force being applied and subsequently causing some of the muscle fibres to tear. In more severe cases, where most of the muscle fibres tear, this is known as a muscle tear.

If such an injury occurs, the most effective treatment revolves around rest and the regular application of ice. When possible, gentle stretching of the muscle will need to be applied so that the muscle can heal in a lengthened state and therefore avoiding repeated injury.

Muscle cramping is an involuntary muscle contraction resulting in significant pain often brought on unexpectedly.

Caused of muscle cramping or muscle spasms is often due to muscle fatigue from prolonged activity and/or dehydration. Effective hydration is paramount when engaging in vigorous exercise with the use of sports supplements that contain essential minerals and electrolytes being the simplest way of combating any deficiency

Other injuries include tendonitis which is inflammation of muscles and tendons often relating to the foreman or ankle. Causation of such injury is mostly an accumulation of repeated action combined with general poor technique.

For those that engage in frequent or long distance running, the development of shin splints is common amongst all participant, especially when running on hard surfaces or simply from overuse.

When taking part in any regular sessions of intense exercise or competition, muscle recovery becomes an extremely important factor when looking to reduce the possible risk of injury and alleviating fatigue. The use of sports supplements before, during and after activity is an effective way reduce the risk and severity of injury and to recover at a far greater rate.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com