Prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in recreational runners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v15i5.51045Keywords:
Road running, Musculoskeleta, injuries, Recreational runners.Abstract
Recreational road running has become one of the most widely practiced physical activities due to its accessibility and the health benefits it provides. The aim of this study was to characterize the profile of recreational road runners and analyze the prevalence of injuries associated with this sport. This is a descriptive study with a quantitative approach, conducted with participants of a road race in the municipality of Ponte Nova – MG. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire containing information on age, sex, body mass index, training frequency, distance covered, duration of practice, participation in other physical activities, presence of professional supervision, and history of injuries.A total of 10 recreational runners participated in the study, with a predominance of males (60%) over females (40%), aged between 24 and 68 years. Most participants had a normal body mass index (70%) and reported engaging in other physical activities in addition to running. A low prevalence of injuries was observed, with reported cases occurring mainly in individuals with longer practice duration and greater distances covered during training. It was also found that most participants did not have professional supervision.It is concluded that, although the literature reports a high occurrence of injuries in recreational runners, this study observed a low prevalence, possibly related to the small sample size and the characteristics of the participants. Further studies with larger samples are recommended to better understand the factors associated with injuries in recreational running.
References
Amadio, A. C. & Serrão, J. C. (2011). A biomecânica em educação física e esporte. Revista Brasileira de Educação Física e Esporte. 25, 15-24. https://www.scielo.br.
Coffito. (2024). Nota conjunta – Fisioterapia esportiva no Brasil. Conselho Federal de Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional (Coffito). https://www.coffito.gov.br.
Desai, P. et al. (2021). Risk factors associated with running injuries. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Evans, R. J., Moffit, T. J., Mitchell, P. K. & Pamukoff, D. N. (2023). Injury and performance related biomechanical differences between runners. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. 5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1268292.
Ferro, M. R. (2021). Fisioterapia em atletas de corrida de rua: revisão de literatura. http://cathedral.ojs.galoa.com.br.
Gomes, M. T. & Gomes, T. N. (2023). Corrida de rua: filosofia, treinamento, desempenho e nutrição. São Cristóvão: Editora UFS. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374777092.
Hollander, K. et al. (2021). Sex-specific differences in running injuries. Sports Medicine, 2021.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33433864/
Jesus, J. L. M. (2023). Análise da incidência autorrelatada de lesões nos membros inferiores de corredores recreacionais. https://ri.ufs.br.
Lopes, A. D. et al. (2024). Musculoskeletal injuries in runners: current evidence. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Pereira, A. S. et al. (2018). Metodologia da pesquisa científica. [Free ebook]. Santa Maria. Editora da UFSM.
Rhim, H. C. et al. (2021). Predictors of injury in recreational runners. Journal of Sports Science. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Risemberg, R. I. C. et al. (2026). A importância da metodologia científica no desenvolvimento de artigos científicos. E-Acadêmica, 7(1), e0171675. https://eacademica.org/eacademica/article/view/675.
Shitsuka, R. et al. (2014). Matemática fundamental para tecnologia. (2ed). Editora Érica.
Silva, J. F. (2021). Lesões em praticantes de corrida de rua e fatores associados. Revista Brasileira de Prescrição e Fisiologia do Exercício. 15(95). https://www.rbpfex.com.br.
Skypala, J. et al. (2023). Running-related injuries in recreational runners. Sports Health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Toassi, R. F. C. & Petry, P. C. (2021). Metodologia científica aplicada à área da saúde. (2ed). Editora da UFRGS.
You, X., Song, Y., Mao, Z., Baker, J. S. & Gu, Y. (2024). Biomechanical effects of dominant or nondominant limb on asymmetry during running stance phase. Applied Bionics and Biomechanics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/3162919. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Lorrayne Aparecida Ferreira de Freitas, Andres Chiapeta

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
