A biopsychosocial model for understanding training load, fatigue, and musculoskeletal sport injury in university athletes: a scoping review

Review written by Dr Travis Pollen info

Key Points

  1. Existing research on athletic injury etiology at the university level focuses on the effects of training load and fatigue on injury but fails to account for biopsychosocial contextual factors that affect these relationships.
All key points available for members only
Start free trial Icon
Or log in here

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Over the past 30 years, models of athletic injury etiology have evolved to account for training load and fatigue along with internal and external risk factors (1-3). However, these models often fail to explicitly account for biopsychosocial (BPS) contextual factors. For example, at the university level, student-athletes often face unique stressors in terms of suboptimal sleep quantity and quality, high academic loads, and social conflict, all of which may affect their injury risk.

To address this shortcoming, this study had two objectives:

  1. To perform a scoping literature review of the relationships between training load, fatigue, and musculoskeletal (MSK) injury in university student-athletes.

  2. To identify BPS contextual factors that affect those relationships and develop an updated injury etiology model specific to student-athletes that includes those factors.

Over time, models of athletic injury etiology have evolved to account for training load and fatigue along with internal and external risk factors.
bulb
The authors recommended comprehensive screening of biopsychosocial factors in the preseason followed by ongoing monitoring throughout the season.

METHODS

For the first objective, the scoping review included studies that investigated the relationships between training load, fatigue (performance or perceived), and MSK injury in university student-athletes.

Start free trial Icon
to unlock full access to this review and 1037 more
Or log in here
Trustpilot