Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Mountain Runners

Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise in the world. The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in street runners has already been extensively studied and is about 55% of those affected. In recent years, more and more runners paid their attention to mountain running where, the different types of terrain and the important differences in height require a different musculoskeletal effort. In the literature there are few studies that have investigated the prevalence of disorders, risk factors and protective factors on these runners. The mountain running performed with regularity and method is certainly a healthy activity for individuals, but it is not free from injuries due to several factors, such as long distance, significant differences in level and uneven terrain. It is not clear whether these factors can influence the onset of skeletal muscle disorders. The study aims to estimate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in this population of mountain runners; moreover it proposes to explore in this population the relationship between distance traveled, the difference in height, the training frequency in the week, the shoes worn, the training method, the use of supports and experience of running with musculoskeletal disorders. Moreover, the study wants to investigate to which rehabilitative figures the sportsman turns and if the treatments have positive outcomes. Inclusion criteria are: age over 18, be a participant of at least one trail, understand the Italian language, to have signed informed consent. Recruitment: all participants in mountain races will be invited to reply to the attached questionnaire anonymously when the race bib is picked up. The runners will be free to participate or not in the survey, without the choice can affect the results of the race in any way and can create situations of subjection to the organization.