Abstract
We determined whether the incidence of injuries would increase with advancing age
and whether the participation in cross-training would be related to a decreased rate
of injuries and healthcare costs in Masters swimmers. A total of 499 swimmers (55±14
years of age) belonging to US Masters Swimming completed a comprehensive questionnaire
that included questions regarding their medical history as well as their training
history. In average, swimmers had been training for 13±12 years, and 35, 40, and 47%
participated in running, cycling, and dryland resistance training, respectively. According
to the logistic regression, prevalence of injuries increased significantly but modestly
with advancing age (p<0.05). Linear regression analysis showed that for every 1 month
increase in the length of injury, healthcare costs increased by 7.4% (p<0.05). Linear
regression and logistic regression analyses determined that overall volume of swimming
training was not related to age or incidence of injuries, respectively. Multinomial
logistic regression analyses using age and sex as predictors demonstrated that the
odds of reporting a swim-related injury were significantly lower for individuals who
participated in any number of cross-training activities compared with those who do
not cross-train (p<0.05). Regular participation in any cross-training modality was
inversely related to age (p<0.05). We concluded that the diversification of the overall
training program by incorporating cross-training may be an important strategy to reduce
sport-specific injuries among Masters athletes.
Key words
non-specific training activities - aging - specificity of training - swimming - healthcare
cost
