ABSTRACT
Sport for individuals with an impairment has grown progressively over the last century from its early beginnings as a component of rehabilitation following injury. Interestingly, at one stage the risk of injury to an athlete with an impairment was thought to be too great that they should refrain from physical activity. Research has disproven this claim. Ferrara and Peterson (2003) found that injuries endured by an athlete with an impairment (9.3 injuries per 1,000 athlete-exposures (AE)) are less common than those endured by able-bodied athletes in specific sports like American football (10.1 to 15/1000 AE) and soccer (9.8/1000 AE); basketball exhibited a lower injury rate (7.0/1000 AE). Not only do athletes with an impairment have a lower injury rate when competing in sport, they also exhibit a higher quality of life associated with physical activity. The opportunities for individuals with any form of impairment to participate in sport and exercise have increased substantially over recent decades, with specialist coaches/trainers, sporting events, national and
1.1 Outline of This Book ........................................................................................3 1.2 The Sports Nutrition Pathway-From Rehabilitation to High Performance ...4 Key Readings .............................................................................................................5
international competitions, and opportunities to become an elite level athlete competing at the Paralympic Games. As a consequence, many athletes with an impairment are now undertaking committed training programs which are similar to those undertaken by their able-bodied counterparts, and seeking a high standard of competition performances. However, the opportunities for athletes with an impairment to receive funding to support them competing at an elite level has not necessarily kept pace with that of able-bodied athletes. Therefore it is not uncommon to have athletes at the elite level who still work full-time, who have limited opportunities to train regularly with their team-mates and who have to travel long distances (including overseas) to take advantage of opportunities to compete. In addition, many coaches are still learning how best to balance training type, frequency and load required to optimise training for an athlete whose physiological capabilities may be altered. Creating a support team that includes the coach and athlete can be useful for generating ideas around how best to manage all components of training, including their sports nutrition requirements.
