Weight training injuries are on the rise, according to a recent study released by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH.
More than 970,000 injuries related to weight training required emergency medical care between 1990 and 2007 — increasing 50 percent throughout the study period, according to a study abstract. The use of free weights led to 90 percent of the injuries, with the majority occurring when the weights were dropped on a person. Sprains and strains accounted for 46 percent of all injuries, with the upper and lower trunk being affected most often.
Although people 13-24 years old sustained the majority of injuries, the largest increase was seen among those 45 and older, the abstract said.
The study was published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
