AHIA Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Athlete Health, Injury and Anthropometric (AHIA) Study
IRAS ID
318076
Contact name
Shane M Heffernan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Swansea University
Duration of Study in the UK
10 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Sports injuries are an unfortunate common occurrence for sportspeople. Aspects of body composition such as fat, lean mass and bone mineral density (BMD) have also been shown as potential risk factors for injury in athletes. There are multiple known and accepted factors that contribute to injury risk including biological sex, sporting discipline and level of competition etc. Research suggests that monitoring body composition during pre-season and throughout a competitive cycle can help identify athletes that may be at greater risk of injury and different severities. For example, athletes who gain fat mass towards the end of a competitive season may be at greater risk of musculoskeletal injuries compared to pre-season. Increases in BMD during pre-season could subsequently reduce the risk of suffering a bone fracture, but currently there is a lack of scientific evidence for this. Further, when considering body composition, nutrition and training load significantly impact the potential outcomes.
The purpose of this study, therefore, is to answer the research question ‘Do long-term anthropometric and nutritional adaptations impact injury risk in athletes?’. The proposed study will monitor changes in body composition and BMD throughout multiple seasons/competitive cycles and the relationship with injury risk. Athletes will attend the laboratory on four occasions per calendar year, during which they will receive a whole body DXA scan and an assessment of brachial artery blood pressure. During one visit per year, participants will receive one femoral neck DXA scan to determine BMD. They will also be asked to complete an online questionnaire about their injury history and current training status.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EM/0258
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jan 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion