Women Paralympic athletes are more likely than men to get overtrained and suffer bone injuries because of their hormones and higher risk of not eating enough.
Evidence from Studies
No evidence studies found yet.
What Would Prove This
Per GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this claim, ordered from strongest to weakest.
Whether the association between female sex and increased risk of OTS and bone injuries is consistent across studies.
A systematic review of 20+ studies including at least 2,000 paralympic athletes, pooling sex-stratified data on OTS and bone injury incidence with adjusted risk ratios.
Whether female athletes develop OTS and bone injuries more frequently over time.
A 4-year prospective cohort of 600 paralympic athletes (300 female, 300 male), matched by sport and disability, tracking OTS symptoms, training load, energy intake, and bone injuries annually.
The current prevalence of OTS and bone injuries by sex.
A cross-sectional survey of 1,000 paralympic athletes assessing sex, training history, nutrition, mood, and injury history using validated tools.
Whether female sex is more common among athletes with bone stress injuries.
A case-control study of 150 athletes with bone stress injuries vs 150 controls, comparing sex distribution and adjusting for training load and energy availability.
Hypotheses about sex differences based on clinical observation and biological plausibility.
A narrative review by sports medicine experts summarizing evidence on sex differences in overtraining and bone health in disabled athletes.