Athlete Development Flashcards

Persistent dorsal wrist pain in a young gymnast who does heavy weight-bearing on the hands most likely suggests stress injury to which structure?

Answer: The distal radial growth plate

Repetitive axial loading can cause distal radial physeal stress, often called 'gymnast's wrist'.

Low back pain that worsens with repeated hyperextension (e.g., walkovers) in a young gymnast should raise suspicion of:

Answer: Spondylolysis

Repetitive spinal extension can cause a stress fracture of the pars interarticularis (spondylolysis).

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) results primarily from:

Answer: Inadequate energy intake relative to exercise expenditure

RED-S occurs when energy availability is too low to support both training and normal body functions.

Which sign should prompt a coach to refer a female gymnast for medical evaluation related to low energy availability?

Answer: Absent or irregular menstrual periods

Menstrual dysfunction is a key warning sign of low energy availability and bone health risk.

A gymnast shows declining performance, persistent fatigue, mood changes and disturbed sleep despite continued hard training. This most likely indicates:

Answer: Overtraining syndrome or non-functional overreaching

Prolonged performance decline with fatigue and mood disturbance signals inadequate recovery relative to load.

Which approach best supports bone health in growing gymnasts?

Answer: Adequate energy, calcium and vitamin D intake with appropriate loading

Sufficient nutrition combined with progressive loading supports bone mineral accrual during adolescence.

When a young gymnast reports pain during training, the coach's best first response is to:

Answer: Stop the painful activity and refer for assessment if pain persists

Pain in young athletes may signal growth-plate or stress injuries and warrants modification and evaluation.