Unraveling the Epidemic of World Cup Injuries: Insights and Trends

GEPA photos

What do Mikaela Shiffrin, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, Petra Vlhová, Alexis Pinturault, Sofia Goggia, Corinne Suter, Wendy Holdener, Marco Schwarz, and different World Cup ski racers have in widespread? All of them sustained extreme accidents that ended their seasons prematurely (besides Mikaela, who missed a number of races because of a knee damage). As my title suggests, the frequency of those season-ending accidents is alarming for the racers and the numerous followers of the White Circus, who miss seeing their heroes show energy, agility, and braveness as they hurtle down the mountains at excessive speeds. It’s additionally a major concern for the nationwide ski federations and the FIS, which wish to have the most effective athletes in our sport competing head-to-head all through the season.

There have been many theories about what brought on the numerous accidents this season. Everyone seems to be seeking to see if there’s a development towards extra accidents lately. The primary query to ask is whether or not the accidents deviate from the norm. There’s a pure tendency to deal with the latest accidents (as a result of they’re simpler to recollect) reasonably than remembering previous seasons’ accidents, assuming that there have been extra this yr than up to now. We will solely look again on current years to see if this yr has produced an uncommon variety of critical accidents.

Additionally, from a statistical perspective, there isn’t any method to inform whether or not this season’s accidents have occurred at an unusually excessive frequency, what is known as a “statistical aberration” (that means the excessive variety of accidents simply occurred randomly), or if a sample is rising of a major enhance in accidents because of probably identifiable causes.

There was a lot hypothesis about doable causes of the numerous accidents:

So many scheduling adjustments because of dangerous climate or restricted snow have created undue stress on the World Cup athletes.

An already demanding World Cup race schedule that doesn’t present enough alternatives for coaching and relaxation.

Insufficient snow resulted in rougher and extra harmful course circumstances.

Too many World Cup athletes had been attempting to race in additional disciplines, thus creating elevated fatigue and inadequate coaching of their main occasions.

There are too many media and sponsorship tasks.

The necessity to put up repeatedly on social media causes distractions.

The strain World Cup athletes really feel to push their limits to be aggressive.

Or my favourite, “S&%# occurs in ski racing!

This rash of accidents can be of great concern for these professionals who research and search for solutions to why accidents happen, how you can stop them, and how you can deal with them. I’m on a dissertation committee for a German graduate pupil, Philippe Muller, who will research how you can keep away from ski racing accidents in younger racers. In a current committee name, members had an interesting dialogue providing psychological explanations for the accidents and recommendations for stopping them. In different phrases, may a specific sort of psychological coaching assist stop accidents?

I offered a considerably conflicting perspective on the worth (or lack thereof) of psychological coaching in damage prevention. In concept, psychological instruments reminiscent of psychological imagery, leisure coaching, focus coaching, depth regulation, emotional administration, stress mastery, respiratory routines and self-talk, amongst many others, may higher put together ski racers mentally and bodily for the intense calls for of ski racing, thus probably decreasing the chance of accidents. Now, right here comes the battle. These exact same instruments are ones that I exploit with World Cup ski racers to assist higher put together their minds and our bodies to push their limits and discover methods to ski quicker. And, in fact, with larger threat and better speeds, extra accidents are prone to comply with. You see the contradiction right here: that which could stop damage may trigger it.

Stopping Damage Amongst Younger Ski Racers: Classes Discovered from the World Cup

Whereas figuring out the causes of this “epidemic” of accidents on the World Cup is solely speculative, I consider that these potential contributors to damage may make younger ski racers extra susceptible to damage because the winter progresses and the race season will get prolonged. It takes a toll on their minds and our bodies. Listed here are some steps racers can take to maintain the hounds of damage at bay:

Enough relaxation and restoration (at some point off per week, 3-5 days off as you enter March),

Correct fueling and hydration on and off the hill (your physique can’t keep wholesome with out enough vitamins).

A constant bodily upkeep program (to reduce the lack of energy).

A dedication to psychological coaching (constant psychological imagery, adherence to your coaching and race routine, constructive self-talk, meditation).

Take heed to your physique and thoughts (in the event that they let you know to overlook a coaching session or take fewer runs, please get the message).

I can’t assure that my “prescriptions” will eradicate the chance of damage. On the similar time, I’ll say with some confidence that racers who comply with my recommendations will probably be more healthy, fitter, extra motivated, assured, targeted, and higher ready to complete the season robust. And in that improved bodily and psychological state, I consider that the almighty gods of ski racing will look kindly on you and will let you full the race season in a single piece (in fact, a type of gods of ski racing is Loki who will get perverse pleasure out of the ache of us mere mortals).