IB Sports, exercise and health science A.3.1.3 Risks of Poor Programme Design, Recovery, and Injury Prevention Strategies Key Definitions

An injury that develops gradually over time, usually due to repetitive overuse of a body part. Chronic injuries are also known as overuse injuries.

A cytokine is a protein that acts as a chemical messenger to regulate the immune system.

Muscle pain and stiffness that occurs after intense exercise, usually within 24–72 hours, caused by microscopic muscle tears that occur during eccentric muscle contractions.

Immune system is the network of cells, tissues, and chemical messengers that protects the body from pathogens and removes damaged or abnormal cells.

Inflammation is the body's protective response to injury or infection, involving increased blood flow, immune activity, and the release of chemicals to repair damaged tissue.

Injury risk is the probability of sustaining an injury based on the interaction of internal and external risk factors.

A neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger that transmits signals between neurons and other cells.

Short-term overloading that exceeds the body’s current capacity for recovery but does not result in long-term harm, usually due to an increase in intensity, duration, or frequency.

A more severe form of overtraining stress where the body experiences chronic fatigue, decreased performance, and potential physical harm due to insufficient recovery.

A condition caused by excessive training without adequate recovery, leading to fatigue, decreased performance, and increased injury risk.

Damage to bones, muscles, ligaments, or tendons resulting from repetitive trauma and inadequate healing time.

Periodization is the systematic organization of training into phases to optimize performance at key times while allowing for recovery and avoiding overtraining.

Prehabilitation refers to a proactive approach to injury prevention that focuses on preparing the body for the demands of training and competition.

Recovery is the time taken for the body to repair and adapt after training.

Sleep is a biological process characterized by reduced consciousness, altered brain activity, and physiological restoration.

Failing to give the body enough stimulus for performance to improve, by training too infrequently, for too short a time, or at too low an intensity to generate the physical adaptations needed.

An active routine performed before sport or training to prepare the athlete physically and mentally. It can include dynamic stretching, strengthening, balance, skill practice, plyometric, and cardiovascular exercises, and reduces injury risk when combined with prehabilitation work.