Risk Factors for Injury in CrossFit ® —A Retrospective Analysis

CrossFit ® is a physical activity program and sport which is based on functional movements performed at high intensity and with high variability of exercises. It develops all motor skills. The study included 424 athletes (266 men and 158 women) from twelve centers in Poland, actively practicing CrossFit ® between 18 and 60 years of age. A questionnaire consisting of 25 questions was used, which was divided into four subsections concerning the characteristics of the sample, training routine, injuries, and information about environment. In total, 48% of respondents participating in the study suffered at least one injury during their entire training history. The injuries suffered most often involved shoulder joint and lumbar spine. Men were found to face a higher risk of injury than women, at 32.78% vs. 15.33% ( p = 0.027). The shorter the training period, the smaller the number of injuries observed among the trainees. It was also noted that the shorter the training period, the lower the number of injuries that occurred ( p = 0.041). An increase in the number of training sessions per week did not increase the incidence of injuries ( p > 0.05). Performing isometric exercises during warm-up reduced the likelihood of injury during CrossFit ® training itself ( p = 0.012). Training despite of concomitant acute pain had a significant adverse effect on the incidence of injuries ( p = 0.002). The most common risk factors for injury in the CrossFit ® training process include, in particular: gender, training experience, and length of training sessions. Proper warm-up including isometric exercises and training conducted without accompanying pain symptoms reduces the risk of injury.