Pickleball Injury Risk For Overweight Players: A recent study by Saint Louis University researchers shows that increased body weight does not raise the risk of injury in pickleball players. The nationwide study, published on Aug. 22 in Sports Medicine – Open, surveyed 1,758 players aged 18 and older who play at least once a month.
Olu Owoeye, Ph.D., associate professor of physical therapy at SLU and lead author, said,
“Unlike other sports where BMI increased the odds of injury, pickleball appears safe for folks who are overweight or obese. Pickleball might be the perfect physical activity intervention for weight control.”
High Injury Rates but Low Risk From BMI
The study revealed that 68.5% of participants reported at least one injury in the past 12 months. Among these, 40.8% had time-loss injuries causing at least one day of missed play, while 51.2% were non-time-loss injuries. One in three players continued playing despite ongoing pain or injury.
The most commonly injured areas were the knee (29.1%), lower extremities (26.9%), shoulder (22.2%), back (19.9%), and elbow (18.4%). Serious injuries included overuse conditions, joint sprains, and muscle strains or pulls.
Significant predictors of injury were male sex, higher weekly play frequency, fewer years of experience, lower perception of injury prevention, and age between 33 and 77. Increased BMI or longer play duration did not raise injury odds.
Preventing Injuries Through Warm-Up and Training
Dr. Olu Owoeye emphasized,
“Pickleball is often underestimated in terms of physical demands. It’s crucial to implement evidence-based prevention strategies to ensure players enjoy the sport’s benefits while minimizing injury risks.”
The study recommends neuromuscular warm-up exercises, proper recovery routines, and skill-focused training for novice players to reduce injuries. In the second phase of the research, SLU’s Translational Injury Prevention Lab is testing pickleball-specific warm-up and recovery routines to further prevent injuries.
Other authors include Wassim Mourad, M.D., Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Saint Louis University; Katie Stamatakis, Ph.D., Department of Epidemiology, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University; Timothy Howell, Ed.D.; Mitchell Wayne; Ryan Blechle, DPT; Dawn Kennedy, DPT; and Ted Yemm.
News in Brief: Pickleball Injury Risk For Overweight Players
Saint Louis University researchers found that higher BMI does not increase pickleball injury risk. The survey of 1,758 players showed high overall injury rates but confirmed pickleball is safe for overweight adults. Experts recommend warm-ups, recovery routines, and skill-based training to reduce injuries.
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