Knee injury prevention for female athletes

According to published reports one in 100 high school female athletes and one in ten collegiate female athletes are getting serious knee injuries each year. The Cincinnati Sports Medicine Research and Education Foundation have been studying differences between male and female athletes for many years. They have identified two critical differences in female athletes. First, there is a marked imbalance of strength and power between the hamstrings and quadriceps in female athletes. Second, the females land in a knock-kneed position which increases the pressure on the knee joint. Based on this information the Foundation has developed a program known as “Sportsmetrics” for female athletes incorporating proper stretching, exercises, balanced leg strength and weight training. This program addresses proper jumping and landing techniques, how to increase leg strength, distribution of right and left leg power, and techniques to increase vertical jumping abilities.

The program has helped to prevent and decrease the number of knee injuries in females. But the program is not limited to females. Males can use the program to develop overall leg strength and perfecting their jumping and landing techniques too. Both female and male athletes should develop their program with proper techniques in order to stay healthy and prevent knee injuries.