While playing sports in college, it wasn't uncommon to see medical trainers tape up teammates' bruised ribs or administer cortisone shots so that athletes wouldn't have to sit out a game. I always felt fortunate that I suffered only a series of sprained ankles, but concern for my health grew after reading about new research showing that many college athletes are inactive later in late due to the long-term consequences of past injuries.
The study, which appears in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, examined more than 230 men and women who were former Division I athletes and 225 who didn't play high-level sports in college. Individuals ranged from 40-65 years old. As reported in a recent Health Day story, the Indiana University researchers' findings showed:
Former Division I athletes were more than twice as likely to have physical problems that limited their daily activities and exercise. Sixty-seven percent of these former athletes said they had suffered a major injury and 50 percent said they had chronic injuries during college, compared with 28 percent and 26 percent, respectively, among non-athletes.
The study also found that 70 percent of athletes said they had practiced or played with an injury, compared with 33 percent of non-athletes. Forty percent of athletes were diagnosed with osteoarthritis after college, compared with 24 percent of non-athletes.
Previous joint injuries may increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis, the study authors said.
The former college athletes also had higher levels of depression, fatigue and poor sleep than non-athletes, according to the study, which was published recently in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
Previously: Is repetitive heading in soccer a health hazard?, Study shows men, rather than women, may be more prone to ACL injuries and Researchers call for improvements to health screenings for female college athletes
Photo by K.M. Klemencic
