Life After Sport: Prior Injury and Sedentary Behavior as Mechanisms of Later Poor Health

Marquette University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Aging; Knee Injuries and Disorders; Physical Inactivity; Athletic Injuries

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT05344001

3967

DP5OD031833 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Competitive sport increases risk for musculoskeletal injury (e.g., traumatic knee injury) and may position former athletes for early onset of chronic diseases, chronic pain, poor health-related quality of life, and disability. Quantifying function in former athletes with and without a prior injury and non-athlete controls is critical to understanding long-term health trajectories in athletes and informing potential interventional studies. One modifiable factor that may be associated with long-term health in athletes is physical activity patterns. The purpose of this study is to evaluate strength, function, physical activity, dietary patterns, and cardiometabolic health among current and former competitive athletes and in nonathlete controls to evaluate the impact of prior knee injury and sedentary behavior as two potential determinants of later poor health and reduced function.

Full description

The overarching hypothesis is that former athletes, especially those with a prior injury, will have poorer function and health in midlife and that current and former athletes will engage in greater overall and longer bouts of sedentary behavior compared to non-athletes.

Aim 1 will compare function, strength, and cardiometabolic indicators among former athletes with and without prior knee injury and non-athlete controls in midlife (age 40-64). Hypothesis 1 is that former athletes with a prior injury will have the poorest function, muscle strength, and cardiometabolic indicators.

Aim 2 will compare sedentary behavior and physical activity patterns in current (age 18-25) and midlife former athletes to non-athlete controls. Hypothesis 2.1 is that current athletes will have greater sedentary behavior, longer sedentary behavior bouts, and higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity compared to non-athlete controls. Hypothesis 2.2 is that former athletes in midlife will have greater sedentary behavior, longer sedentary behavior bouts, and lower physical activity levels compared to non-athlete controls.

An exploratory aim will evaluate longitudinally the trajectory of physical activity patterns, cardiometabolic indicators, function, and strength annually in each cohort, comparing how these variables change over time in each subgroup.

Enrollment: 450 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 64 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Please see cohorts for specific inclusion/exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18-25 years OR age 40-64 years
• Current or former collegiate varsity athlete OR non-athlete control

Exclusion Criteria:

• Neurologic (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's) and/or degenerative disease that impairs function
• Pregnancy
• Lower extremity joint replacement (e.g., hip or knee replacement)

Trial design

450 participants in 5 patient groups

Midlife former athletes with a prior knee injury

Description:

Inclusion Criteria: Age 40-64 years. Prior participation in a collision, contact, or jumping/cutting/pivoting sport (e.g., baseball, basketball, field hockey, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, volleyball, etc.) at the collegiate varsity level for at least 1 season; history of at least 1 prior traumatic knee injury including but not limited to ACL or PCL rupture and/or reconstruction, medial and/or lateral meniscus tear or surgery, osteochondral defect, and/or intra-articular (i.e., tibiofemoral or patellofemoral) fracture. Exclusion Criteria: Neurologic (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's) and/or degenerative disease that impairs function; current pregnancy; lower extremity joint replacement (e.g., hip or knee replacement).

Midlife former athletes without a prior major lower extremity injury

Description:

Inclusion Criteria: Age 40-64 years. Prior participation in a collision, contact, or jumping/cutting/pivoting sport (e.g., football, baseball, basketball, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, volleyball, etc.) at the collegiate varsity level for at least 1 season. Exclusion Criteria: Neurologic (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's) and/or degenerative disease that impairs function; current pregnancy; lower extremity joint replacement (e.g., hip or knee replacement); prior major lower extremity injury (e.g., ACL tear, Achilles tendon rupture, compound ankle or femur fracture, hip dislocation).

Midlife controls

Description:

Inclusion Criteria: Age 40-64 years. Exclusion Criteria: Prior participation in a collegiate varsity sport or professional sport; neurologic (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's) and/or degenerative disease that impairs function; current pregnancy; lower extremity joint replacement (e.g., hip or knee replacement); prior major lower extremity injury (e.g., ACL tear, Achilles tendon rupture, compound ankle or femur fracture, hip dislocation).

Young adult athletes

Description:

Inclusion Criteria: Age 18-25 years. Participation in a collision, contact, or jumping/cutting/pivoting sport (e.g., baseball, basketball, field hockey, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, volleyball, etc.) at the varsity collegiate level. Exclusion Criteria: Neurologic (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's) and/or degenerative disease that impairs function; current pregnancy; lower extremity joint replacement (e.g., hip or knee replacement).

Young adult controls

Description:

Inclusion Criteria: Age 18-25 years. Exclusion Criteria: Prior or current participation in any collegiate varsity sport; prior major lower extremity injury or surgery (e.g., ACL tear, Achilles tendon rupture, compound ankle or femur fracture, hip dislocation); current participation in competitive sport (e.g., collegiate club sport) more than 3x/week; joint replacement in the lower extremity (i.e., knee or hip replacement); current pregnancy; or neurologic condition (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's) and/or degenerative condition that impairs function.