Dor e lesões musculoesqueléticas em praticantes de corrida de rua e os mecanismos neurais envolvidos: estudo observacional

Abstract

The popularity of street running has grown, increasing the number of participants and competitions, but also the risk of injuries. These injuries can compromise the health benefits of running, limiting participation in training and competitions and generating financial, emotional and clinical problems. Overuse injuries, which do not necessarily interrupt participation, are often overlooked. There are differences in pain perception between recreational runners and normally active people, as well as differences between the sexes. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate pain and musculoskeletal injuries in recreational street runners and the neural mechanisms involved. METHOD: The research consisted of three cross-sectional observational studies. In the first study, 101 participants were divided into four groups (male runners, female runners and male and female non-runners), to analyze intrinsic (personal) factors and training and their relationship with pain and previous injuries. In the second study, 57 individuals divided into two groups (male runners and female runners) participated to analyze extrinsic training factors (training characteristics) and their relationship with pain and previous injuries. In the third study, 57 men were divided into three groups to investigate differences in pain locations, pain tolerance, pressure pain thresholds and passion for running. RESULTS: The studies showed that: 1. male recreational runners (HCR) have longer practice time, higher weekly volumes and higher speeds in their training than female runners (MCR) for the same participation in events, despite the effect size low; 2. HCR are 15 times more likely to experience mild pain when compared to MCR; 3. the pressure pain threshold (LDP) in the anterior tibialis muscle of the MCR increases with increasing running time; 4. among HCR, increasing training frequency was related to a reduction in LDP in the anterior tibialis muscle and in the lumbar region, however, it does not imply an influence; LDP of female runners was lower than that of MCR in the Achilles tendon, but pain tolerance was higher in MCR; 5. pain tolerance increases with increasing practice time in the MCR group; 6. long- and shortdistance runners did not show differences in pain tolerance, but the group of long-distance runners showed greater pain tolerance than non-runners; 7. being more obsessively passionate about the sport does not increase pain tolerance; 8. the obsessive passion for the sport impacts the number of injuries in short-distance runners; 9. activation of the pain inhibitory pathway was not efficient in long-distance runners; 10. participating in long or short distance races does not affect the LDP in the tibia and knee. CONCLUSION: Regular running can habituate the body to pain, as long as there is no overtraining or abrupt increases in volume and intensity. In men, running training can decrease pain sensitivity and increase tolerance. In women, increasing weekly running volume may increase pain sensitivity, although it also increases tolerance.