FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Repetitive blocking and the
weight of helmets and pads may compress the spine enough to result
in a temporary loss of height for some football players, a new
study finds.
Previous research has suggested that gravity-related compression
of the spine can cause a person to lose as much as 1 percent of
their height in a normal day. Fortunately, this height loss is
recovered during sleep.
In this study, researchers looked at 10 football players whose
positions were most likely to expose them to repetitive
longitudinal loading of the spine over the course of a game due to
blocking, tackling and other maneuvers.
Each player's height was measured before and after the game.
Their average pre-game height was 176.56 centimeters, and their
average post-game height was 175.81 centimeters.
"The results indicate that high school football players' heights
decrease during the course of a game by almost one full
centimeter," study author Brian J. Campbell said in a prepared
statement.
"The decrease is likely due to the intermittent high-impact
compressive loading of the spinal column during a football game, as
well as the low-impact continuous compressive forces from equipment
weight. In a game such as football, one centimeter could mean the
difference between a game-winning catch or a blocked field goal,"
Campbell said.
He noted that hydration may play a role in this height loss
through the release of fluid from the vertebrae via osmosis. Future
research is required to pinpoint why football players lose height
during a game, Campbell said.
The study was presented this week at the annual meeting of the
American College of Sports Medicine, in Indianapolis.
More information
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has more about
football.
