CH14 M1.1. Safety Appliances in Sports and their uses Role Name Affiliation Principal Investigator Dr. Asis Goswami Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University Co-Principal Investigator Dr. P.K. Nag Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University Paper Coordinator Dr. A.G.K Sinha Punjabi University Content Writer/Author Dr. A. Sathiya Moorthy Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University Content Reviewer Dr. A.G.K. Sinha Punjabi University Language Editor Items Description of Module Subject Name Physical Education, Sports and Health Education Paper Name Athletes Care and Rehabilitation Module Name/Title Case Study Safety Appliances in Sports and their uses Module Id CH14 M1.1 Pre-Requisites None Keywords Protective Equipments, personal safety gear, Types of equipments, sports related equipments. Objectives After studying this module, the students will be able to know To know about safety appliances To understand the importance To know sports related protective gears To know the varieties of sports gears To understand sports injuries in relation to protective gears Summary This module gives complete overview of the safety gears and equipments used in sports. A number of issues are considered for the choice and design of such equipment. Protective equipment generally refers to clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipments used by the sports person which are specially designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. Wide variety of protective gears and equipments are available to safeguard every part of the body starting from head to toe. Some examples are Protective Eyewear, Mouth Guards, Helmets, Safety Pads, Guards, Footwear and even clothing. Each of these have been described in the module.
SAFETY APPLIANCES IN SPORTS AND THEIR USES Personal protective equipment plays an integral role in maintaining the safety of an athlete participating in sports. The usage and development of protective gear in sports has evolved through time, and continues to advance by researches over time ensuring safety to the optimal level. Many sports league or professional sports have made mandate the provision and usage of protective gear for athletes in the sport. The use of protective gear or equipment is also mandated in college athletics and occasionally in amateur sports. Sometimes sports safety equipment and gear give an odd appearance or unfashionable, but right kind of protective safety gear for a particular sport could save from serious injuries or may reduce the severity of an injury. To sum it all, the point of a sport is to actually enjoy the optimal level of participating in the sports and games, and getting injured can result in participation limitation that is, being out from the playing field for weeks or more based on the injury caused. Protective equipment generally refers to clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipments used by the sports person which are specially designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. Protective clothing refers to sports related clothing/garments. Protective gear refers to pads, guards, shields, masks etc., They are different types of issues to be considered in the safety appliances usage like: Playing surfaces gravel, grass, water etc., Lightings, Duration of the Game, Altitude, Number of Players Type of the Game - Indoor Outdoor, Contact Non contact, Clothing / Garments. Broad classification of sports protective appliances: Protective Eyewear in relation to eyes. Mouth Guards in relation to teeth, gums, tongue and lips. Helmets in relation to head and scalp, back of head (occipital area). The helmets are also designed to protect the face in some sports. Safety Pads and Guards in relation to trunk, specifically designed to protect individual segments or as a whole in respect to the type and need of the game. For example like ribs, abdomen, joints, forearm, thighs, shin, genitals, hand, fingers etc., Footwear and Athletic Shoes in relation to ankle and foot and need for the game. For example, sprints, marathon, cricket, football, indoor and outdoor surfaces.
Clothing / Garments in relation to the type of sports. For example swimming, cycling, fencing, boxing etc., Eye Gear: Eye gear commonly used for protecting the eyes from particles, light, wind blast, heat, sea spray or some type of ball or puck used in sports. Goggles the term used for the equipment to enclose or protect the eye area in order to prevent particulates, infectious fluids etc., in the event like swimming, goggles protect the eyes from salt or chlorine in the water. Coaches, parents and players having in mind the importance of safety, now realize that wearing protective eyewear during sports pays off in several ways. That may include the risk of eye damage, and the player's performance is enhanced by the ability to see as well. In fact, many athletic and fitness clubs and even associations today, do not permit their members (athletes) to participate without wearing proper eye gear. Use of protective eyewear can help in avoiding 90% of sports-related eye injuries. Such eyewear may include safety glasses, safety shields, goggles, and eye guards specially designed for a specific sport. General purpose eye glasses, contact lenses, and sunglasses are unable to protect eye injuries. It is better to wear Safety goggles over the normal eye glasses or contact lenses. Protective eyewear manufactured from ultra-strong polycarbonate is many times impact resistance than other form of plastics. All sports persons should use protective eyewear whether they wear eyeglasses or contact lenses or not. It is possible to make protective eyewear to match prescriptions for children who wear glasses or contact lenses. Mouth Guards: If a sport involves the sports person or an athlete being smacked in the jaw by a stray ball or flying elbow while playing sports, then probably the athlete knows how essential a mouth guard is to keep in the mouth. The mouth guards also help prevent the tongue and lip injuries, and also help reduce the risk of suffering a concussion or fractured jaw or tempero-mandibular joint dislocation. Mouth guards should be considered as mandatory safety equipment during sports that have any risk of injury to the face, jaw or mouth eg: boxing. Perfectly fitted mouth guards are effective in producing safer zone for the teeth and associated structures in around the mouth and also act to be comfortable, but they also stay in place, durable, easy to clean and doesn t restrict speaking and breathing. A mouth guard may give unattractive appearance, but this protective gear can prevent major injuries. A mouth guard with correct fittings protects the teeth and jaw of athletes involved in high impact sports. In some sports, like boxing, it is mandatory to wear a mouth guard.
A custom made mouth guard fits better and are more comfortable, however, a pre-made or boil and wear mouth guard might be equally useful for many people. In fact, the aim is to get a mouth guard that fit as desired. At the same time they should be comfortable enough and psychologically acceptable to wear it. The mouth guard worn should allow the athlete to play in the sport and game, breathe easily and stay in place. Types of mouth guards: Shock Doctor Mouth guards Brain Pad Mouth guard Brain Pad Female Mouth guard Strapped Mouth guards Mouth guards for Braces Helmets: The helmets are used by the sports persons to minimise the occurrence of head or brain injuries example: Boxing, cricketing, football, cycling, skiing, baseball and motor sporting the usage of helmets are mandatory in some sports and may be (or) recommended in some sports. The helmets are specially designed and tested according to the need and impact created by different types of sports. For example, a baseball helmet cannot be used by a cyclist or a boxer. The helmet should be designed in such a way to fit the player's head thereby preventing damage from wear. Helmet types according to their usage: Bicycle helmet Newstead Helmet Crosby Garrett Helmet Equestrian helmet Football helmet Racing helmet Batting helmet Rib-Chester Helmet Ski helmet Nijmegen Helmet Hockey helmet Combat helmet Arai Helmet Safety guards and pads: Safety pads and guards are considered as sports equipment. The pads and guards are worn to reduce injury during sporting activities. The safety Guards can be made from a range of material from hard plastic to soft padding. The nature of
expected injuries generally determine the type of material to be used. It is important to select appropriate pads or guards for any type of contact sports. A large variety of such equipments are available that include includes shin, knee, elbow, wrist, chest, neck, shoulder, hip and thigh pads. Sports like inline skating and skate-boarding require wrist, knee and elbow guards as essential equipment to prevent injuries like cuts, scrapes and abrasions. These guards can also reduce the incidences major sprain, strain or even a fracture. Knee pads and wrist guards are very useful in sports like snowboarding. A wipe-out on a snowboard may throw the athlete out in air and during the fall the arms and wrist generally takes the load. This may cause fracture in arm and wrist. In each sport the type of pads and guards differ and the material used too. For example hockey, boxing, skiing, taekwondo (martial sports) use high calibrated chest guards. The presence of splints and braces play an important role in the safety mechanism in guards and pads. Each and every part of the body from neck to toe needs to be protected by using appropriate guards and pads. Footwear and athletic shoes: In sports, footwear plays a major part in protection and injury prevention. An optimal selection of footwear is needed to have an efficient participation by the sports person. In soccer or football, cleats with plastic spikes are worn for traction and to reduce the risk of injuries from falls. Running shoes are worn by athletes that are designed for optimised foot pronation and reduce the risk of overusing the feet and ankle joint. Cyclists wear shoes that protect the feet from pain and allow for safe, fast pedalling. The type of shoe athletes wear during certain sports can easily be added to the safety equipment list. Sports cleats are important during field sports, such as football, baseball and soccer. The right running shoes can decrease the risk of overuse injuries caused due to wear and tear. Special cycling shoes can reduce foot pain (metatarsal and tarsal) and increase the pedalling efficiency. Court shoes with support (up to the ankle) and good traction are designed specifically for basketball, tennis and racquetball. Wearing the right footwear is essential for avoiding sports-related knee and ankle injuries. Many sports put a considerable amount of pressure on the joints, which can leave them vulnerable to strains and sprains. To make sure that the athlete inadvertently twist the ankle or damage the knee while running or jumping, the athletes are to be sure of buying the apt shoes sports specific and in comfort zones. Clothing and garments: Sport-specific garments play a vital role in sports performance and injury prevention. The use of proper fitted garments and materialized according to the need of the sports are important considerations in the performance and injury prevention. The apparels include tracksuits, shorts, T-shirts, tennis shirts and polo shirts. Sports
specific specialized garments are also designed to meet the comfort and performance criteria of that particular game. For example, wet suits (for swimming, diving or surfing), ski suits (for skiing) and leotards (for gymnastics). One of the most important aspect is to choose proper underwear, such as the jockstrap and sports bra. Sportswear should be typically designed and also light weighted so as not to encumber the wearer. Thermal insulation is another important factor that is needed for the wearer. In hot climatic / environmental conditions, the sports person should remain sufficiently cool; whereas, in cold environment, the person should continue to be warm. Moisture-wicking fabrics are to be considered in designing the sportswear. It should provide moisture control for an athlete's skin. The sportswear should be able to take the perspiration away from the body and then to the outer surface of the clothing so that the moisture can evaporate. This would give maintenance of hydration by increasing cooling through evaporation and thus reducing water loss. Some reasons in considering quality clothing: The right athletic clothing boosts confidence The correct sports apparel improves performance The right workout gear adds protection & prevents injuries Well-fitted athletic clothing improves freedom of movement Compression clothing can aid in recovery after exercise Many of the sports persons don t have the knowledge of what type of jockstraps to be used. The jockstraps prevent the genitals from getting injured. The knowledge behind this type of kit is limited within the population. As a coach, sports person it is recommended to use the proper apparel in saving the life of the sports person as genitals can be injured in any sports which can be life threatening. There are specially designed female jockstraps available in the market. The pelvic protector is the female equivalent of the male jockstrap. It is designed to protect the female genitals from bruising, tearing, or traumatic penetration. In males considering the injury issues, an abdominal guard is also used additionally in the jockstrap (also called "cup", "box", or "L Guard") which is a hard usually plastic cup that is inserted in a jockstrap to protect male genitalia. These gears are made from high density plastic with a padded edge and shaped like a hollow half-pear. Commonly these are inserted into the jockstrap style underwear (designed specifically) of the batsmen and wicket-keeper (for example). Goal of using such gears is protect the genitals from impact by the ball. The sports bra for the females is an additional issue to be considered in safe participation and injury prevention. A sports bra provides special and additional support to female breasts during physical exercise. It is tougher than typical bras and
are designed to minimize breast movement, reduce discomfort, and prevent from potential damage to chest ligaments. For the optimal and safe participation of female athletes and players, sports bra plays a vital role. Selection of optimal sports bra reduces the risk of chest injuries too. The size, cups, material and the participating sport type plays role in selecting the type of sports bra. The reason for selecting sports bra is that, breasts have no muscle, and they are tend to bounce without proper support thereby stretching the skin and Cooper's ligaments (ligaments near the breast which give them their size and shape) which can lead to the break down and cause sagging, which in turn lead to chest pain, stooping posture and sports performance. Importance: Increase in number of people engaging in sporting activities, the percentage of injuries has also increased. By using protective equipments while playing sports and related activities, there is a chance of reducing the occurrence of injuries and will make sports participation safer. However, it is important to use the apt protective equipment meant for the particular sporting activity. Using a pair of spikes shoes in the sprinting event help to protect the ankle from ankle injuries as the nails help to provide a firm grip. However, using the same pair of spikes shoes for running will cause serious injuries. Increasing the self confidence level of the sports person. Well trained to maintain physical fitness. Improves the level of active participation, due to personality traits, allowing the individual to be in the field or ground or court. By having optimal protective gears and clothing, the mood of participation is increased for the sports person, which in turn increases active participation and elite achievements. Finally reducing the occurrence of injuries. It is important for us to understand the importance of safety appliances in sports as sports is an unavoidable situation for all age categories. Kit usage and its necessity awareness is an important culture to be developed for all age groups especially for the kids so as to prevent the injuries and other circumstances.