Women athletes suffer more injuries than men. Why?

2002/03/26 Lasa Iglesias, Aitziber - STEAM Hezkuntza arloko arduraduna

• Osasuna

After several trials, researchers at the University of North Carolina noticed that when women jump, their knees are more together and straight. They were asked to run in different ways and cross a platform, and measured the strength exercised by women in different directions. Then they realized that women make more force of torsion with their knees.

The sudden collapse of the knee or excessive pressure can break the anterior cruciate ligament. This type of injury is almost eight times more common in women than in men, such as basketball, football and volleyball.

To date, the size of the female ligaments and/or the menstrual cycle were used to explain the highest frequency of this type of injury, and although the anatomical and hormonal differences can influence themselves, at least on this occasion, through better training, they could be avoided.