MSU researchers have found that young athletes who focus on a single sport are more prone to injuries and surgeries related to those injuries. The study suggests that switching sports for about three months each year can help reduce these risks and improve long-term health outcomes.
Nathan Fitton, an associate professor of orthopedics at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, along with Jared Lutsic, an MSU alumnus and orthopedic surgery resident at Henry Ford Warren, conducted research on the effects of sport specialization. Their findings were published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.
“We expected to learn that highly specialized athletes would have higher injury rates,” said Fitton. “What’s alarming is a statistically significant increase in surgical procedures after an injury.”
The study involved NCAA Division I, II, and III athletes who reported their sports participation and history of injuries. It showed that highly specialized athletes were more likely to report injuries and reinjuries.
“We asked college athletes about their specialization status and learned that those who had a history of being highly specialized in high school got injured more frequently in college,” Lutsic noted.
Fitton emphasized the benefits of cross-training: “Athletes can still be very committed to a single sport and reduce their risk of injury by playing just one other sport for three months.”
The research highlights the importance for parents, coaches, young athletes, and health practitioners to consider cross-training as part of their athletic programs.
