Modern Sport: Risks of Functional Musculoskeletal Disorders in Young Athletes

Abstract

Abstract: The issue of functional musculoskeletal disorders in young athletes is a subject of numerous studies. Experts attribute their occurrence to key trends in modern sports, specifically the intensification of training loads and the lowering of the age limit for participation. Involving children in intensive training at an early age, when their musculoskeletal system is still not fully formed, significantly increases the risk of overload. The lack of timely detection and correction of these disorders can have serious health consequences, creating a fertile ground for the development of permanent pathologies that may eventually affect internal organs and other body systems. Therefore, preventive measures are critically important for preserving the health of young athletes. The purpose of this study is to generalize and systematize existing scientific data on the problems of musculoskeletal biomechanics in young athletes. Methods. The research methods included analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, analogy, abstraction, and idealization. The results indicate that the problem of musculoskeletal biomechanics disorders in young athletes is a central issue within the framework of a health-preserving approach to sports training. Postural defects, combined with flat feet, reduce the damping function of the spine, which leads to constant microtrauma to the brain's blood vessels during movement. Clinical manifestations of this include increased fatigue, frequent headaches, emotional lability, and impaired cognitive function. Modern research also views postural disorders as a sign of metabolic disturbances, such as osteopenia and osteoporosis, as well as an early indicator of degenerative-dystrophic spinal diseases. The conclusions highlight that the significant increase in training loads in contemporary youth sports and the intensification of the training process, which is aimed at high performance, pose serious risks to a child's body. This can lead to the development of metabolic and morpho-functional disorders, as well as pre-pathological conditions.