Injuries and Rapid Weight Loss in Elite Adolescent Taekwondo Athletes: A Korean Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Abstract Objectives To report injury patterns associated with training activities of elite adolescent Taekwondo athletes who are expected to represent South Korea in the future. Methods Beginning in 2019, we prospectively collected data on elite adolescent Taekwondo athletes at the Korean Training Center. The athletes were assessed by sports medicine doctors, and data were stratified according to sex, weight class, injury location, injuries during the weight loss period, and weight loss method. We used χ2 tests were used to compare groups. Injury rates were expressed as Poisson rates with 95% confidence intervals. Results There were 117 male and 102 female elite adolescent Taekwondo athletes. The mean weight loss among athletes was 3.37 (±1.23) kg, and the mean duration of weight loss was 7.53 (±3.40) days. In general, all athletes used similar weight loss methods. We recorded 846 injuries (annual average, 3.98 injuries/athlete). In general, female athletes had higher injury rates than their male counterparts. Additionally, the athletes had significantly higher injury rates during weight loss periods than during other periods of training. When all athletes were considered, most injuries occurred in the lower extremities (63.2%), followed by the trunk (14.2%), upper extremities (16.3%), and the head and neck area (6.3%). The injury severity significantly influenced the body regions in weight categories. Conclusion Rapid weight loss is related to the incidence of sports damage in athletes. Most injuries occur during weight loss periods in South Korean elite adolescent Taekwondo athletes. Moreover, the injury rate and injury severity depends on weight class.