Intrinsic injuries
These occur when an athlete becomes injured as a direct result of taking part in sport. Typical intrinsic injuries include both acute injuries (such as sprains, strains, grazes, bruising, blisters and fractures) and overuse injuries (such as tendonitis and shin splints) because they can either happen suddenly or build up over a period of time.
Intrinsic injuries can be caused by sports performance overusing their bodies during training or in a competition. Overuse often takes place when an athlete puts too much pressure on themselves by suddenly increasing the frequency or duration of their training.
Preventing the injury from taking place a performer should always make sure that intensity of their training sessions increase slowly and adjust to the players performance level. However if an athlete overloads themselves their body puts them under intense pressure that they may not be able to handle, Example; A long istance runner normally works at 50 per cent of their maximum speed and suddenly increases to 80. An thlete is most likely to overload if they return to sport after a forced break e.g. an illness. They don't realize that they are taking a step backwards in terms of fitness and train too hard when they have just returned.
Good alignment is important for a sports performer as poor alignment can put strain on the body leading to intrinsic injury. If an athlete has poor balance and puts more weight on on one foot than the other it leads to discomfort and eventually injury. Good posture is vital when performing and training as they have to make sure they keep a straight back so no injuries/strains occur.
In order for part of the body to move the relevant muscles and bones must work together as a series of levers. A lever consists of the following components;
The pivot (or fulcrum): the point about which the lever rotates
The load: the force applied by the lever
The effort: the force applied by the user of the lever system
If the lever is not balanced, for example, if the load is too heavy or the effort is not great enough, an intrinsic injury such as a sprain, strain or even a fracture may occur.
Gravity, the force exerted on the body by earth, and resistance, the force that resists the movement of an object, can also have a negative impact on the body when taking part in sports activities. Both can put undue pressure on the joints and muscles, which may result in an intrinsic injury.
Extrinsic injuries
Extrinsic injuries are caused by external factors and not by the sports performer themselves. Example; if a piece of equipment or an opponent comes into contact with a performer an extrinsic injury would occur by a force. The impact of the force may cause many different injuries, including fractures, concussion, dislocation and spinal injuries.
