Long-term damage because of sport?

J

janniK

0
Hey,
I’m (17 years) about to start sport again after about 1-2 years of abstinence. I plan to do things as fitness studio, soccer and some bicycling, but my question is supposed to deal with all sports.
I have the following problem: What long-term damage is sport able to do? What do I have to worry about? For example: Do joins/muscles/bones ‘wear out’/abrade/chafe so that I have disadvantes towards people, who do not do sports, in my 30s, 40s, 50s, … in the long-term?

The reason why I’m posting here is simple. First of all I need motiviation. But if I’m always thinking that sport is bad in the long run, I’m not motivated. Furthermore I like sports and of course I don’t want to resign ;)
 
Sport isnt bad unless you do it wrong. Make sure when you lift weights you know the correct form and when you play soccer and cycle you dont overtrain etc etc. Its pretty hard to overtrain and I sure unless you play very high grade soccer and train everyday at high impacts on the pitch you wont have any troubles in your later life.

If anything it will improve your quality of life later on.
 
Depends on what sport. High contact sports: yes, check out how a lot of ex-NFL running backs walk after retirement.

As far as running wearing out joints etc. you see an awful lot of older people who are still out running. They seem to be much better off than sedentary people
 
I'm 48 and just got out of the hospital yesterday after a 3-day stay for open heart surgery, because I exercise regularly (1 - 1.5 hours/day, 5 days / week). Because I run, my bone density would expectedly be higher than a non-athlete. My resting heart rate was 51 (it's a little higher now since I haven't worked out in 2 months) and my blood pressure is 110/65. I would compare these numbers to the vast majority of people 1/2 my age.

I had an aortic aneurysm that had it not been detected and surgically treated would have been fatal down the road, unless I adopted a completely sedentary lifestyle.

There are no downsides to sport exercise, except the exceptions that Gooch mentioned, plus many steroid users and particularly risky sports. But, overall, the benefits of cycling and soccer outweigh the risks.
 
I agree, sports in general is great. Just like everything else, do it in moderation. great fun way to meet people and have fun while staying healthy
 
Thanks for all the answers.
You already calmed down my concerns a lot, but I got three more questions:
- Why are high-contact-sports socially so accepted and wanted if they do such harm in the long run? For example, lots of parents in the US want their kids to play football, self-defense training is often highly recommended, …
- Soccer’s also a contact sport, is it still okay because the body doesn’t get overchallenged with those contacts? Or would a lower contact sport such as Badminton/runnig (or even swimming) be basically better (in the long-term)?
- You talked about wrong position while doing sport. It's probably nearly impossible to do everything PERFECT -> is the best thing to do therefore to do everything as good as possible and consequently not to overchallenge the body?
 
janniK said:
Thanks for all the answers.
You already calmed down my concerns a lot, but I got three more questions:
- Why are high-contact-sports socially so accepted and wanted if they do such harm in the long run? For example, lots of parents in the US want their kids to play football, self-defense training is often highly recommended, …
- Soccer’s also a contact sport, is it still okay because the body doesn’t get overchallenged with those contacts? Or would a lower contact sport such as Badminton/runnig (or even swimming) be basically better (in the long-term)?
- You talked about wrong position while doing sport. It's probably nearly impossible to do everything PERFECT -> is the best thing to do therefore to do everything as good as possible and consequently not to overchallenge the body?
Click to expand...

High-contact sports are accepted because society likes the excitement of them. American football is one example--people like the high speed and the aggressiveness of the game. Most parents who want their kids to play football never have much to worry about, because eventually their kids get out of high school and no longer play competitively. Many kids get injured playing these sports, but their love for the game outweighs the mostly brief period of injury, which for the most part, heal.
Soccer can be dangerous, but I'm an example of one who had an internal injury diagnosed because of soccer. I was slammed into very hard, and later that day began urinating blood. After tests, the doctors discovered that I had partial kidney disease that may not have ever been discovered had I not been injured playing soccer. I would say the health benefits of soccer far outweigh the risks. The same with most other sports.
Without risk, there is no reward. Think of it that way.
 
joints = if you go crazy you can do perminate damage, avoid high impacts
muscles = will repair,
tentons = can rip for perminate damage
bones = got through micro fractures and repair becoming denser. unless they shatter
brain = will be less lazy toward activity, and will enjoy a better mood in life as a whole.
 
There are risks to everything. You can get hurt playing sports. You can injure yourself in the weight room. It is all possible.

Of course you could get hit by a bus and die while crossing the street. Does that stop you from going outside?

The benefits far outweigh any risks of course. Sports help build relationships and character that will help you tap potential you may never have known. Not to mention making your joints, bones, muscles, and heart stronger. The small chance that an injury may occur is not even worth blinking twice at.

I guess it depends on what type of person you are.

Are you going to go through life not taking any risk or doing anything that has a possibility of causing injury or not working. (since everything you do carries that risk I suppose you would never leave the house. But who really wants to live in their parents basement for the rest of their life?)

Or, are you the type of person who is going to do what they enjoy and try new and different things. You could have fun, meet a ton of great people and have a better life with no regrets at the end.

I know I strayed from the injury thing. But, it is not about injuries you may or may not sustain. It is about doing something you love and are passionate about. It's about the people you meet and the relationships you build.

Second guessing decisions (especially when it comes to sports and exercise) is going to be more detrimental than any injury you may or may not get.

I've blown out a knee in football. Had pins put in my hand from wrestling. Sprained ankles in football. Been kneed in the head in MMA. Had 2 surgeries on injured joints. You know what. I am fine now. No problems. Training to get better in another sport that is new to me. (Highland Games)

My entire life, from the friends I met in high school, college, and after. My major in college. All the jobs and business ventures I have been involved in. What my hobbies and interests are. All the new opportunities I have had are because of people I met when I was training or competing. Right on down to how I met my wife.

All of that, cam from my involvement with sports, exercise, and the fitness field.

People can't afford not to participate in sports, exercise, or fitness. From my point of view anyhow.
 
janniK stop worrying so much, if you are so worried about getting injured just do general fitness. You will get stronger, fitter, with a better quality of life in the long run. If you don't know what sport to do yet means you are not a sports person, it means that you don't "love" doing something in particular. Young people your age have already made their choices, and a lot of them are professional athletes. Go to the gym, get a good fitness level, try a couple of sports and make your choice, any choice, you can't go wrong.
 
I recommend booking a series of sessions with a personal trainer. Ask them what conditioning you should be doing, and what you should avoid. Every body is different.
 
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