Injury, Physical Performances
Conditions
Keywords
Sports Injury Prevention, Community Sport, Ladies Gaelic Football, Injury Prevention Programme
Brief summary
The aim of this research is to evaluate the impact of an injury prevention programme on injury risk factors and performance outcomes in Ladies Gaelic Football players. This injury prevention programme was designed with input from Ladies Gaelic football stakeholders and experts and this study will determine if this programme reduces injury risk and improves physical performance over time. Participants will complete physical performance tests before and after the intervention, which consists of incorporating the injury prevention programme into regular team training sessions for 12 weeks. The study will also integrate a qualitative component to assess player's perceptions of the programme and their willingness to implement it.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALLadies Gaelic Football-Specific Injury Prevention Programme
This intervention is an injury prevention programme designed with input from Ladies Gaelic football stakeholders (players and coaches) as well as experienced athletic therapy and physiotherapy practitioners and academics from the disciplines of injury prevention and coaching science.
Sponsors
Dublin City University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Intervention model description
Cluster Randomised Trial
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Current Ladies Gaelic Football player competing at adult or minor level from teams consenting to participate in the trial
Exclusion criteria
* Players with a current injury preventing full training participation
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Power Output (measured via a Countermovement Jump) | 12 weeks | Change in Ladies Gaelic Football players' Power Output (measured via a Countermovement Jump) as measured by the VALD ForceDecks. Greater power output (Watts) is better. |
| Change in 505 Agility Test Time | 12 weeks | Change in Ladies Gaelic Football players' 505 Agility Test Time from pre-testing to post-testing. Lower time is better. |
| Change in Landing Error Scoring System Score | 12 weeks | Change in Ladies Gaelic Football players' Landing Error Scoring System scores from pre-testing to post-testing. Lower score is better. The minimum possible score is 0 (indicating excellent, low-risk performance), and the maximum possible score is 19 (indicating poor, high-risk performance). |
| Change in Isometric Hamstring Strength (Maximal Force) | 12 weeks | Change in Ladies Gaelic Football Isometric Hamstring Strength (Maximal Force) from pre-testing to post-testing as measured by the VALD ForceFrame. Greater Newtons of force is better. |
| Change in Y-Balance Composite Score | 12 weeks | Change from pre-testing to post-testing in Ladies Gaelic Football players Y-Balance Composite Score. The Y-Balance Composite Score is a single percentage value from the Y-Balance Test indicating overall stability. Lower scores suggest greater injury risk and higher composite scores suggest less injury risk. |
| Change in 20 Metre Sprint Time | 12 weeks | Change in Ladies Gaelic Football players' 20 metre sprint times from pre-testing to post-testing. Lower time is better. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Player/Coach perceptions of the programme and willingness to implement it | 12 weeks | Interview/Focus groups following the intervention period will assess how players and coaches in the intervention group perceive the injury prevention programme and their willingness to implement it in the future. |
| Number of sports-related injuries suffered during the intervention period relative to match hours and training hours (injury incidence) | 12 weeks | Difference between the control group and intervention group in terms of the number of sports-related injuries suffered during the intervention period relative to match hours and training hours completed by each group |
Countries
Ireland
Outcome results
None listed