Modifying risk factors for injury in adolescent cricket pace bowlers with an exercise

Intervention: An exercise-based injury prevention program completed two times per week for an eight-week period. Each session will last approximately 20 minutes and be conducted at the beginning of a normal cricket training session, in place of a usual warm-up. All sessions will be held at the participant’s regular training venue. The sessions will begin with a dynamic warm-up which will involve a series of running drills. Players will then undertake a number of exercises to improve; shoulder muscle strength (external shoulder rotation with theraband), trunk extensor endurance (static trunk extension holds), hip adductor strength (theraband hip adduction), hamstring strength (hamstring lowering) and dynamic neuromuscular control (single leg balance and jumping/landing drills). The eight-week intervention period will be divided into three stages; stage 1 (weeks 1-2), stage 2 (weeks 3-5), and stage 3 (weeks 6-8). The exercises will become more challenging (addition of repetitions, increase in theraband resistance, and more dynamic exercise positions) as the stages progress. Expected session RPE for each stage is as follows; stage 1 – RPE 5-6/10, stage 2 – RPE 6-7/10, stage 3 – RPE 7-8/10. Adherence will be monitored for each exercise session and a score appointed to each participant after each session. A score of ‘3’ will be award if all exercises are completed, ‘2’ if all but one of the exercises are completed, ‘1’ if more than 2 exercises are not completed and, ‘0’ if no exercises are completed. All exercise sessions will be supervised by an Accredited Exercise Scientist.