Descriptive study about injuries in padel: relationship with gender, age, players’ level and injuries location

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the relationship according to gender, age and level of padel players with the number of self-reported injury history.

Method: A total of 148 players (75 men, 73 women, 33.95 ± 9.87 years old) take part in this study, from whom 151 injuries were registered and classified regarding the type, location and injury situation (training or competition). A retrospective, descriptive study was set out, using an adapted version of a self-reported sports injury questionnaire. Chi-Squared, Residuals and Cramer’s V were calculated to study the strength of association between variables.

Results: Findings revealed: i) overall predominance of muscle injuries in the lower limbs; ii) greater number of trunk injuries in men and upper limbs in women (p = 0.046); iii) higher rate of muscular lesions in players older than 35 years and tendinosis in younger than 35 years (p = 0.009); iv) higher rate of injuries in lower level players, especially in tendons and shoulder (p = 0.031).

Conclusions: Muscular accounted for the majority of injuries in padel, particularly on the lower limbs. Males reported more trunk injuries, whilst females suffered more on the upper limbs. Players older than 35 years informed more muscular injuries; by contrast, tendinous injuries prevailed in younger than 35 years. Finally, the level of players revealed an inverse relationship in the number of injuries (the higher the level, the lower the injury rate).