Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders participate in sports every year, placing stress on their muscles and joints with constant stopping and starting movements. A recent Australian survey of tennis players found 48 per cent had experienced an injury in a one-year period, with injuries to the shoulder, back or knee accounting for 67 per cent of injuries in males and 32 per cent in females.

Research has warned that children who experience sporting injuries are at a higher risk of suffering from re-injury in the long term. However, sports are obviously a great way to keep in shape for most people, and a great start on the road to a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your fitness programme and preventing injury.

Avoiding dehydration

Whatever sport you play, it is essential to maintain your fluid levels to avoid dehydration. Don't rely on your thirst as an indicator of fluid depletion, try to drink consistently before and during your sporting activity. Continuing to drink after you have finished will ensure that weight lost through fluid depletion is replaced. Remember that alcohol and any drinks containing caffeine can lead to increased dehydration.

Try to be acclimatised to the area and conditions where you participate in physical activities - this helps to ensure your body is equipped to handle the conditions.

If you are outdoors, always remember to bring adequate sun protection, and try to avoid scheduling activities between 10am and 2 pm, the hottest part of the day.

Warming up, cooling down

You can help to reduce the risk of a serious sporting injury by warming up prior to exercise and taking time to cool down after your activity. Stretching prior to exercise, but after warming up, helps to promote blood flow to your muscles, increasing flexibility and reducing the chance of getting a new injury or aggravating an old one.

A gentle cool down period means you will experience less muscle stiffness and soreness. It also helps to remove waste products from muscles you have used during your activity, replacing them with nutrients and oxygen.

Try not to overdo it when beginning a new activity, build on your fitness levels and set goals. Knowing your limits means you have less chance of sustaining a sporting injury - a lack of fitness increases your chance of experiencing a heat-related injury such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

The right equipment

No matter what sport you play, the correct footwear is essential to absorb the impact of movement as well as provide adequate support for your ankles and feet. This is especially important in sports where knee and ankle injuries are common, such as netball and football. To help avoid injury, protective equipment such as knee and elbow pads, helmets, mouthguards, gloves or shin pads may be helpful in many contact sports or sports where there is a risk of crashing.

Treating an injury

While broken bones and severe sporting injuries, such as concussions, should be treated by a medical professional immediately, less serious sprains and strains can initially be helped by the RICE method.

Using the RICE method immediately can help to stop swelling.

• Rest - no exercise or stretching or quick movements.
• Ice - should be applied for at least 20 minutes as soon as possible after the injury, then every four hours while you are awake, for the next 48 hours. Flexible hot/cold packs, crushed ice cubes in a wet tea towel or packets of frozen peas are ideal. Be careful to protect your skin with oil, a paper towel or a tea towel.
• Compress - use a firm crepe or elastic pressure bandage on the affected joint or limb.
• Elevate - keep the injured arm or leg up.

Food and sport

Allow between one and four hours for your food to digest before you participate in any sporting activity, longer if your sport involves running. The ideal meal prior to sport is low in fat and high in carbohydrates - carbohydrates increase your store of glycogen, which fuels the muscles, while a low-fat meal helps you avoid a bloated feeling that may affect your performance.

Original material supplied by MyDr. Reviewed by everybody, March 2005.