A shorter break between the games can prepare NFL players for knee injuries

According to researchers, it may be more likely to be a certain type of knee injury to maintain a certain type of knee injury if you have a shorter rest period between the games.

Knee injuries are most common in the NFL, although this study has been read out specifically on a break or a crack of the extension mechanism, the combination of muscles and tendons that allow the knee.

“The extensor mechanism is of crucial importance for knee stability and joint expansion, and such an injury could endanger the career of an athlete,” says study author Steven Defroda from the Missouri University of Medicine. “It can be very painful to run, let alone play.”

Using publicly available data from the 2009-2023 seasons, the researchers found that the players suffer from a crack in a short break week 3.7 times more often than a long rest week or less than seven days compared to a period of over seven days.

The players also suffered 4.7 times more often in a normal rest week or exactly seven days than long rest weeks. Defroda and his team found no significant difference when comparing injury risks after short and normal rest weeks.

“This underlines that certain injuries probably occur due to” microtrauma “that accumulate over a long season and that longer rest periods could be justified for athletes, especially if they show signs of fatigue or inability to recover between the games,” says Defroda.

They also found no connection between player position, age or weight – however, there was an increased risk of racing for players if they played on artificial lawn than to play on grass. This corresponds to other studies that indicate that more injuries occur on the lawn, since rubber and synthetic fibers do not absorb as much influence.

“Studies like this can help us to think about how athletes are injured and work on strategies to prevent some of these injuries from occurring,” says Defroda.

“The recovery period and the cumulative effects of injuries are crucial for surveillance, especially since athletes play more and play in a shorter time than ever.”

Research appears in the Journal of Knee surgery.

Source: Missouri University