I am a doctor with the American ski team – this is why women tear ACL

• Dr. Julia Iafrate, does, practice sports medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation.
• It is a former competitive skier who has torn her LCA.
• She says hormones increase the risk of LCA injury but are not the only factor.

This test as told is based on a conversation with Julia IafrateDo a doctor with the Female sports medicine center in Nyu Langone. It was published for duration and clarity.

I started skiing when I was about 6 years old. I grew up in Canada, where skiing was a lifestyle. I used to run until I tear my LCA, a major ligament in the knee joint, at 18. Once it was surgically repaired, I had two consecutive knee injuries which required surgery. It ended my competitive ski career, but I launched my interest in medicine.

Now, I am a double -sided certified doctor in sports medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation. I am one of the doctors who treat the American ski team. In my work, I see more discussions on the impact of hormones on sports injuries for women. Here is what we know about the role of hormones in wounds and how to avoid injuring the slopes.

Women are more prone to LCA injuries

Women are twice as likely to tear their LCAs as men – in fact, some research puts the risk much higher, at eight times the risks that men have. There are several reasons for this. Women tend to have wider hips than men, which has an impact on the angle of the knee. Anatomically, this may increase the risk of LCA injury.

In addition, in general, women have less neuromuscular control than men. Boys are often encouraged in sports such as weightlifting and have more muscle mass. Women tend towards sports such as figure skating or dance, where strength is not priority. Since muscular strength ensures stability, many women have less stability in their LCA than men.

Hormones also play a role

The hormones are also at stake. We need more research on this, but some studies suggest that women are more likely to injure their ACLs when they were ovulated.

It is the time of the menstrual cycle when the estrogen is the highest. Estrogens can make ligaments less steep, increasing the risk of injury. This is the same reason why women could undergo ligament injuries during pregnancy. Since the body temperature also increases during ovulation, the body may be more subject to inflammation and injuries.

To be clear, we will never blame an LCA injury only on hormones. But, an increase in estrogens combined with fatigue, a lack of muscle control and biomechanical strains on the ligament can have an impact.

However, women are not the only ones with a correlation between hormonal changes and injuries. For men, the increase in testosterone can increase competitiveness or risk -taking behavior, creating more risk of injury.

Dynamic exercises can help

Flexibility is often celebrated, but without stability, it is not great. Women – and everyone – need flexibility and stability to protect their ligaments. The strength of strengthening is an excellent way to increase stability.

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Focus on exercises that imitate the real world and use several muscle groups simultaneously. Squats and leg presses are excellent examples. These exercises lead to several muscle groups to work together and respond to different stimuli. This will help on the slopes when you have to sail suddenly in other skiers, stay stable on a plot of ice or take a jump.

Stop while you are in advance

When you notice that you are tired during an exercise, your muscles are already tired. This reduces your performance, and this is one of the reasons why so many injuries occur in the last series of the day.

Remember that no bear is continuing you. You can still ski another day, so don’t push it once you start to feel tired. Head to the lodge and enjoy it according to it.

Be aware of whole body changes

Whether you are in the national ski team or have reached tracks like a casual hobby, it is important to be aware of changes to the whole body during your menstrual cycle, your pregnancy and your menopause.

I had my first baby 15 months ago, and I still can’t run with the same biomechanics as me before. I had to understand this and give myself the grace to get back into the exercise. By listening to your body and recognizing the changes that hormones can make, you can prevent an injury, which is much easier than trying to repair one after that.