NBA study reveals no clear link between load management and reduced injury risk / News - Basketnews.com

NBA's extensive 10-year study reveals no conclusive evidence supporting a link between load-managed players and reduced injury risk. However, the report underscores the multifaceted nature of injuries, citing factors such as previous injury history, surgeries, and age as potential contributors.

Credit: USA TODAY – Scanpix Credit USA TODAY – Scanpix

NBA recently shared data from an extensive 10-year study with its teams, revealing no significant link between load-managed players and a reduced risk of injury.

The study, conducted by leaders in sports medicine, considered factors such as the schedule, number of games, and regular season load carried by players.

For years, there has been speculation about whether players who frequently rested, even in back-to-back games, were less prone to serious injuries. The study appears to support the idea that load management may not be a decisive factor in preventing injuries.

The league had faced concerns from fans and media partners about the trend of players, particularly stars, missing games without clear injury reasons. In response, the NBA introduced the Player Participation Policy, aimed at encouraging healthy players to compete and penalizing teams that violated the guidelines agreed upon by the league and the player's union.

Those who participated in the study -- Dr. John DeFieri, Dr. Christina Mack, and Dr. Mackenzie Herzog -- said other issues could be factors for injury. Such as: Previous injury history, previous surgery, and age.

They emphasized that the report does not dismiss the effectiveness of load management but underscores the importance of finding a balance between rest and recovery.

Dr. DeFieri emphasized, "There needs to be a balance between rest and recovery," and Dr. Mack noted that they "did not see a lower injury rate when players rested."

The 57-page report underscored the fluctuation in the number of games missed by star players over the years. In the 1990s, the average was 10.6%, while in the 2020s, it has risen significantly to 23.9%.

Like what we are doing? Support us by becoming BN+ member.