An athletes likelihood of suffering from an injury during a competitive season could potentially be predicted by examining the quality of their technique during squat exercises.
Researchers examined 111 athletes competing in NCAA D1. The researchers had the athletes perform both a bilateral and single-leg version of the squat, and rated each athlete as either a ”poor” or ”non-poor” mover. The researchers then followed the athletes for one year to track injuries.
The researchers found that the athletes with the poor bilateral squats suffered from 1.62 as many lower extremity injuries as the athletes with superior squat technique. The researchers also found that athletes with a poor single-leg squat developed 1.33 times as many injuries as the athletes with better single-leg squats.
Conclusions
This study adds to the growing body of evidence to support proper movement quality in order to prevent injury. Clinicians and strength coaches may provide significant value by ensuring that their patients or athletes can safely perform functional movement patterns, such as a squat or hinge, without exhibiting any compensatory dysfunction.
References