Incidence of CrossFit Related Injuries: A Metaalysis

Abstract

CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program that has gained popularity since its inception approximately 15 years ago. However, little is currently known about the level of injury risk associated with this form of training. The aim of this study was to evaluate the injury incidence rate associated with CrossFit training and to point out the site most affected by the injuries. The search of articles in the databases resulted in 93 files in Portuguese and 476 in English, but only 62 files were selected for analysis, since the others did not address the topic of interest. Of the 62 studies included, 15 articles were performed with samples collected from both sexes. Among 6,169 participants, 2,063 injuries were recorded. Articles were published between 2015 and 2019. Injury prevalence ranged from 12.8% to 92.5% between studies. According to the meta-analysis of 15 studies, the prevalence of injuries was 33.4% (95% CI 32.2%-34.6%). The I2 value of 26.3 revealed low heterogeneity between studies. The prevalence of injuries among male crossfit practitioners was 58.5%. The prevalence of shoulder injury was predominant in studies with an average equal to 35.2%. It is important to identify the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in the Crossfit modality in order to adopt effective preventive measures, since musculoskeletal injuries are among the most common complaints in orthopedic care, which occurs in both athletes and non-athletes. The incidence rate of injuries associated with CrossFit training was low and comparable to other forms of recreational activities. The incidence rate of injuries associated with CrossFit training was low and comparable to other forms of recreational activities. The shoulder was the main joint affected by injuries due to CrossFit training.