NSCA CSCS Injury Prevention 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a preseason screen, a football lineman demonstrates a significant right-to-left limb symmetry index (LSI) of 68% on single-leg hop tests. What does this indicate?
- The athlete is cleared for full contact practice
- The athlete has a meaningful interlimb strength/power deficit that elevates re-injury risk (Correct answer)
- The deficit is within acceptable norms for linemen
- The test is invalid for larger athletes
Correct answer: The athlete has a meaningful interlimb strength/power deficit that elevates re-injury risk
An LSI below 90% is generally considered a meaningful asymmetry associated with elevated re-injury risk, particularly after lower-extremity injury.
Question 2: Which warm-up protocol has demonstrated the most evidence for reducing lower extremity injury rates in soccer players?
- Static stretching only for 20 minutes
- FIFA 11+ structured warm-up program (Correct answer)
- Cold water immersion before practice
- High-intensity sprint intervals without dynamic preparation
Correct answer: FIFA 11+ structured warm-up program
The FIFA 11+ program is an evidence-based warm-up shown to significantly reduce lower extremity injuries in soccer players.
Question 3: What is the significance of training load monitoring in injury prevention?
- It eliminates the need for rest days
- It allows identification of spikes in acute:chronic workload ratio that increase injury risk (Correct answer)
- It replaces the need for movement quality screening
- It is only relevant for endurance athletes
Correct answer: It allows identification of spikes in acute:chronic workload ratio that increase injury risk
Monitoring the acute:chronic workload ratio helps identify dangerous spikes where sudden training increases significantly elevate injury probability.
Question 4: Which tendon is most commonly affected by insertional tendinopathy in distance runners due to repetitive plantarflexion loading?
- Patellar tendon
- Achilles tendon (Correct answer)
- Posterior tibial tendon
- Peroneus brevis tendon
Correct answer: Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon at its calcaneal insertion is highly susceptible to insertional tendinopathy from repetitive eccentric loading in runners.
Question 5: A strength coach wants to reduce lumbar spine injury risk during Olympic weightlifting. Which technical cue is MOST critical?
- Maintaining a rounded thoracic spine throughout the lift
- Keeping the chest up and maintaining a neutral lumbar spine (Correct answer)
- Allowing forward knee tracking past the toes
- Using a wide stance to reduce power output
Correct answer: Keeping the chest up and maintaining a neutral lumbar spine
Maintaining a neutral lumbar spine and upright chest position minimizes shear and compressive forces on lumbar discs during weightlifting.
Question 6: Which type of stretching is MOST appropriate immediately before explosive sport performance to maintain power output while reducing injury risk?
- Prolonged static stretching (>60 seconds per muscle)
- Dynamic stretching through sport-specific movement patterns (Correct answer)
- PNF stretching targeting antagonist muscles only
- Ballistic bouncing stretches at end range
Correct answer: Dynamic stretching through sport-specific movement patterns
Dynamic stretching raises muscle temperature and maintains neuromuscular activation without the acute power decrements associated with prolonged static stretching.
Question 7: Shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome) are most commonly caused by which training error?
- Excessive upper body loading
- Rapid increases in running volume or intensity on hard surfaces (Correct answer)
- Insufficient caloric intake alone
- Overemphasis on static core exercises
Correct answer: Rapid increases in running volume or intensity on hard surfaces
Rapid spikes in running volume or intensity on hard surfaces create repetitive tibial bone stress that exceeds the tissue's remodeling capacity.
NSCA CSCS Injury Prevention 3
During a preseason screen, a football lineman demonstrates a significant right-to-left limb symmetry index (LSI) of 68% on single-leg hop tests.
What does this indicate?