https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/njjwwi/PodcastAudio_Episode167.mp3



In this edition of Pursuing Health Pearls, we are going to dive into a question that certainly gets a lot of attention in the media, and that is, “Is CrossFit dangerous?”
Some of the perception that CrossFit is dangerous may stem from how it has been portrayed in the media over the past 20 years. From the early days of CrossFit, it was presented as an extreme exercise program with “Pukie Clown” and “Uncle Rhabdo” as mascots. CrossFit was initially used widely in the training of elite athletes in other sports and for military and first responders, with a tagline of “Forging Elite Fitness.”
In addition, watching athletes compete in the CrossFit Games can also make it difficult for the average person to understand that CrossFit can be for them, too. Seeing these athletes who train for hours each day with a sole focus on becoming the “Fittest on Earth” can make CrossFit seem inaccessible or “too intense” for the average person.
However, over the years these harsh messages have been toned down, and the methodology underneath it all has proven over and over again to be effective at producing health and fitness in people from all walks of life. CrossFit is not just for extreme or elite athletes, it really can be for anyone. Here, we’ll review the available data on CrossFit and injury rates as well as our interpretation of some findings that may help to minimize risk while participating in CrossFit.
 
Some Qualifiers
Before we discuss the research, we have to acknowledge that we still have a relatively small amount of data available on CrossFit and injury rates, although we do have a lot more than we did 10 years ago.
We also have to acknowledge that the studies we do have available have limitations. Many of these studies are retrospective, meaning participants were asked to fill out surveys about past injuries while doing CrossFit instead of tracking the injuries in real time as they happen. As with epidemiological nutrition research, this approach does not always provide the most reliable information.
Finally, we have to acknowledge that there have been a lot of special interests in this research area that can influence how studies are reported, and which studies are published or not.
The biggest example of this was a 2013 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, which is a journal published by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
This study followed 43 participants doing a CrossFit program for 10 weeks and found that they improved aerobic fitness and body composition, but reported an injury rate that was later found to be fabricated. The study was corrected and then retracted completely from the journal. The study was the focus of multiple lawsuits against the lead investigator, Steven Devor as well as the Ohio State University and the NSCA. Steven Devor resigned from his position at the Ohio State University. CrossFit won $4 million in sanctions in a lawsuit stemming from the retracted paper. Judge Janis Sammartino ruled that the NSCA had “deceived and continues to deceive the public and consumers regarding the safety and effectiveness of CrossFit training.” She went on to say in her ruling: “Not only is it clear that the NSCA knowingly and repeatedly resisted producing documents that were irrefutably releva...