We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back stress fractures, but the injury can be especially prevalent in high school runners. A new study finds that, while the incidence of stress fractures is similar between boys and girls who run for their high school, their risk factors are different.
The study, Couch to 5k The 6 Most Common Causes of Lower Leg Pain, tracked more than 400 girls and more than 200 boys over an average period of just less than a school year. During that time, 5.2% of the girls and 4.0% of the boys got stress fractures.
The researchers looked for commonalities among the runners who got stress fractures. One of the biggest predictors for both genders was a previous stress fracture. But after that, things diverged. For girls, the other top predictors were a body mass index below 19, late onset (after age 15) of menstruation, and participation in gymnastics or dance at an earlier age. For boys, the biggest predictor other than a previous stress fracture was more seasons of running high school cross country and track.
The researchers say that these findings can help runners, coaches, and parents be on guard for which runners are most likely to get a stress fracture. A low body mass index and late onset of menstruation have been linked to eating disorders. The researchers speculate that their finding about gymnastics and dance can also help monitor risk. "Like running, gymnastics and dance are sports that emphasize leanness; and we hypothesize that cumulative exposure to sports that emphasize leanness may result in negative health behaviors that aversely affect bone density and strength," they write.
Perhaps the most interesting finding is that boys who played basketball before becoming high school runners had a lower incidence of stress fractures.
"Participation in high-impact and odd-impact loading sports during adolescence may enhance bone density and geometry," the researchers write, "whereas running involves repetitive lower-impact loads and has not been shown to clearly improve bone health" in young runners.
This study is consistent with what many coaches of young runners observe, namely, that teens' cardiovascular and muscular systems are often stronger than their skeletal system; "their engine can handle more work than their chassis" is how one coach has put it.
Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including Six Things to Know Before Getting an MRI, Advanced Marathoning, and Give A Gift. Scott has also written about running for Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
