The relationship between physical fitness attributes and sports injury in female, team ball sport players: a systematic review

Sports Medicine - Open

Table 9 Summary conclusions and level of certainty from studies examining associations between physical fitness components and lower body injury in female, team ball sport players

Physical fitness components	Relationships assessed from each study		Summary conclusion		Level of certainty
Physical fitness components	# relationships demonstrating significant association with injury	# relationships demonstrating no significant association with injury	n/N relationship outcome (%)	Practical interpretation	High, moderate, low, insufficient
Univariate analyses
Balance measures	1 [80], 9 [87]	4 [98], 3 [87], 3 [80], 1 [75]	10/21 (48%)	Inconsistent association	Moderate
Body composition measures	1 [98], 2 [75]	1 [75], 2 [74], 3 [99], 4 [98], 6 [79]	3/19 (16%)	No association	Moderate
Cardiovascular fitness measures	1 [74]	0	1/1 (100%)	Unknown	Insufficient
Flexibility measures	3 [80]	1 [98], 1 [75], 1 [77], 5 [80]	3/11 (27%)	No association	Moderate
Muscular strength measures	1 [83], 2 [80]	2 [79], 2 [80], 4 [75], 5 [83], 7 [77]	3/23 (13%)	No association	Moderate
Power measures	1 [83], 4 [98]	2 [83], 4 [94]	5/11 (45%)	Inconsistent association	Moderate
Multivariate analyses
Balance measures	1 [80], 1 [87]	8 [87]	2/10 (20%)	No association	Moderate
Body composition measures	1 [75], 1 [98]	2 [79], 2 [74]	2/6 (33%)	No association	Moderate
Cardiovascular fitness measures	1 [74]	0	1/1 (100%)	Unknown	Insufficient
Flexibility measures	0	6 [63]	0/6 (0%)	No association	Insufficient
Muscular strength measures	1 [80], 1 [83]	1 [79], 5 [83]	2/8 (25%)	No association	Moderate
Power measures	1 [83], 1 [98]	2 [83], 3 [98]	2/7 (29%)	No association	Moderate

Coding: n/N = number of significant associated relationships divided by total number of relationships investigated. The number of relationships is reported with the study reference number in brackets
Data removed from univariate analyses’ data synthesis due to poor methodological quality and/or high risk of bias included the following: muscular strength measures (6 relationships [92]), flexibility measures (4 relationships [91]), balance measures (10 relationships [91]), coordination measures (1 relationship [71], 9 relationships [91]), and power measures (2 relationships [91]). Data removed from multivariate analyses’ data synthesis due to poor methodological quality and/or high risk of bias included the following: body composition measures (2 relationships [71]), balance measures (1 relationship [71]), coordination measures (6 relationships [71]), and flexibility measures (2 relationships [71])