ABP Sports Medicine key terms

A structured history, physical examination, and cardiovascular screening completed before an athlete begins training or competition. Its purpose is to identify conditions that raise injury or sudden-death risk and to guide safe participation.

A standardized set of personal and family history questions plus physical examination items recommended by the American Heart Association for detecting cardiovascular conditions that may cause sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes.

A clinician's determination, based on the preparticipation evaluation, that an athlete may participate fully, with restrictions, or not at all. The decision weighs diagnosis, treatment, sport demands, and acceptable risk.

A clinical scale describing secondary sexual development-breast, genital, and pubic hair changes-used to assess biological maturity. In young athletes it helps interpret growth-related injury risk and readiness to compete.

The maximum rate at which the body can take up and use oxygen during intense exercise, usually expressed in milliliters per kilogram per minute. It reflects cardiorespiratory fitness and is a key determinant of endurance performance.

The exercise intensity at which blood lactate begins to accumulate faster than it can be cleared. It marks a transition toward anaerobic contribution and strongly predicts sustainable endurance pace.

A nutrition strategy that increases muscle glycogen stores before long endurance events by tapering training and eating a high-carbohydrate diet. It can delay fatigue in events lasting roughly 90 minutes or more.

A subjective scale, such as Borg's 6–20 or 0–10, that athletes use to rate how hard exercise feels. It helps prescribe and monitor training intensity when heart rate or laboratory measures are unavailable.

A gradual, repeated exposure to hot conditions during training that improves sweating, plasma volume, and cardiovascular stability. It reduces heat illness risk and improves performance in hot environments.

A validated decision rule using pain at the malleoli, inability to bear weight, and bone tenderness to decide whether ankle or foot radiographs are needed after acute injury. It reduces unnecessary imaging.

Exercise-related pain along the medial shin from repetitive tibial loading, often called shin splints. It is a bone-stress continuum condition distinct from a true stress fracture and usually managed with load reduction.

A partial or complete bone fracture caused by repetitive submaximal loading rather than a single traumatic event. Common sites include the tibia, metatarsals, and femoral neck; some sites carry high complication risk.

Persistent tendon pain and impaired function resulting from cumulative loading and failed healing rather than acute inflammation alone. Management emphasizes progressive loading rather than complete rest.

An acute injury to muscle fibers, often at the musculotendinous junction, caused by forceful lengthening or contraction. Severity ranges from mild stretching to complete rupture, guiding return-to-play timelines.

A life-threatening emergency with core temperature usually above 40°C plus central nervous system dysfunction during exertion. Immediate cooling and emergency transport are critical; antipyretics are ineffective.

Low serum sodium occurring during or after prolonged exercise, often from overdrinking fluids that exceed sodium losses. Symptoms range from nausea to seizures and coma; treatment depends on severity.

Narrowing of the airways during or after vigorous exercise, causing cough, wheeze, chest tightness, or dyspnea. It is common in athletes and managed with warm-up, trigger avoidance, and inhaled bronchodilators.

A syndrome of impaired physiological function-including metabolism, menstruation, bone health, and immunity-caused by relative energy deficiency from inadequate calorie intake for exercise demands. It affects both male and female athletes.

A viral illness, usually caused by Epstein-Barr virus, marked by fever, sore throat, fatigue, and lymphadenopathy. Athletes need activity restriction because of splenic enlargement and rupture risk.

A written, rehearsed protocol describing roles, communication, equipment, and evacuation routes for medical emergencies at athletic venues. It coordinates rapid response and is essential for events involving heat, head injury, or cardiac arrest.

A portable device that analyzes heart rhythm and delivers an electric shock to terminate ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Early use, combined with CPR, improves survival after sudden cardiac arrest.

A traumatic brain injury caused by impulsive forces to the head or body, producing temporary neurological dysfunction. Diagnosis is clinical; athletes require removal from play and a graduated return-to-learn and return-to-play process.

Immobilization and careful handling used when a head or neck injury raises concern for spinal instability. The goal is to prevent secondary spinal cord injury during assessment and transport.

A shared decision about when an injured athlete can safely resume sport, based on healing, symptoms, strength, function, sport demands, and risk of reinjury. It is not determined by elapsed time alone.

A structured warm-up or training routine combining balance, plyometrics, strength, and movement control. Programs such as these reduce ACL and other lower-extremity injuries in athletes.

Early care after a musculoskeletal injury that limits pain and swelling while protecting healing tissue. Current approaches favor relative rest, compression, elevation, and early controlled movement rather than prolonged immobilization.

A set of sport-relevant tasks-such as hopping, cutting, and strength testing-used to assess readiness after injury. Results are interpreted alongside symptoms, clinical examination, and the demands of the sport.

A stepwise plan for resuming school or academic work after concussion, beginning with rest and advancing as symptoms allow. It often precedes return to sport because cognitive activity can provoke symptoms.

The interrelated spectrum of low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and reduced bone mineral density in physically active girls and women. Each component can occur alone and requires early recognition.

Damage to the growth plate of a child or adolescent, often from repetitive or acute loading. Because the physis is weaker than nearby ligament in youth, injuries may present differently than in adults.

A prolonged decline in performance and well-being caused by an imbalance between training stress and recovery. It is a diagnosis of exclusion and requires rest, nutrition, and gradual return to training.

Organized sport modified in rules, equipment, or classification so athletes with disabilities can compete safely and fairly. Medical clearance should address the specific impairment, equipment, and sport demands.

A process in which an athlete or guardian receives understandable information about risks, benefits, and alternatives before agreeing to evaluation, treatment, or research participation. Consent must be voluntary and documented.

A legal claim requiring a duty of care, a breach of that duty, causation, and damages. Team physicians and athletic staff can reduce risk through standard documentation, communication, and emergency planning.

The ethical and legal obligation to protect an athlete's private health information from unauthorized disclosure. It applies to records, conversations, and team communications, with limited exceptions such as emergencies or legal requirements.

The range of clinical activities a professional is legally and ethically permitted to perform based on licensure, training, and delegation rules. Team settings require clear role definitions among physicians, athletic trainers, and other staff.