The world of sports activities glorifies power, vitality and vigour, however years of being on the sports activities discipline can take a bodily toll on athletes. India’s star shuttler Saina Nehwal, who grew to become the primary badminton participant from the nation to clinch an Olympic medal in 2012, has revealed she is combating arthritis. She says the stress on her knees has impacted her coaching, and it might turn out to be the rationale she retires from the sport quickly.

Saina Nehwal started enjoying badminton on the tender of age of 9. She is presently 34, and has confronted her fair proportion of accidents throughout her superb profession, which additionally noticed her turning into a World No.1 participant.

My knee will not be superb… I’ve arthritis: Saina Nehwal

The Haryana lady made the revelation about her well being in a podcast with capturing legend Gagan Narang. She stated, “The knee will not be superb. I’ve arthritis. My cartilage has gone to a foul state. It is rather tough to push for 8-9 hours. How will you problem the perfect gamers on the earth in such a state? I feel I should settle for it someplace. As a result of 2 hours of coaching will not be ok to play with the very best degree of gamers and get the specified outcomes.”

As a matter of reality, Saina Nehwal has not participated in aggressive badminton since enjoying on the Singapore Open in 2023. Whereas she didn’t instantly speak about her retirement plans, Saina took a second to mull over the “quick profession” of a sportsperson.

“I’m additionally enthusiastic about it (retirement). It will likely be unhappy as a result of it is sort of a job {that a} regular particular person does. Clearly, a sportsperson’s profession is at all times a brief one. I began on the age of 9. I will probably be 35 subsequent yr. So, I’ve additionally had an extended profession. And I’m very pleased with that. I’ve damaged my physique to an excellent extent. I’m pleased with what I’ve carried out and given all of it. Will assess how I really feel by the top of this yr,” she stated through the podcast.

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Saina Nehwal’s unparalleled achievements in badminton additionally led her to be honoured by India’s civilian honour, the Padma Shree. She has beforehand received two medals in Commonwealth Video games in 2010 and 2018, in addition to a bronze medal in Olympics 2012. Saina has competed in 3 Olympics, however given her well being situation, she has acknowledged that you simply’ve obtained to surrender when your “physique is telling that you’re not doing nicely and you’ve got accidents”.

Are athletes extra vulnerable to arthritis?

Athletes undergo plenty of put on and tear throughout their coaching and enjoying years. A number of the world’s prime sportspersons have been via career-threatening accidents. Some may battle them and make a comeback, whereas others selected to place their profession on the backburner.

Significantly these athletes concerned in high-impact sports activities are sometimes at an elevated threat of creating arthritis sooner than the final inhabitants.

Dr Rajat Chauhan, a Sports activities-Train Medication and Musculoskeletal Medication Doctor, tells Well being Photographs, “When there’s extra load on a joint, persons are going to be extra vulnerable to the danger of osteoarthritis. However with correct muscle alignment courtesy stretching, power coaching and conditioning, in addition to rehab, extreme loading could be prevented. If there may be not sufficient relaxation and restoration, there can at all times be increased possibilities of osteoarthritis – whether or not it’s for somebody who’s operating, enjoying a sport at a elite degree or perhaps a one who doesn’t transfer sufficient.”

Having stated that, all sportspersons wouldn’t have osteoarthritis, asserts the knowledgeable. A variety of it boils all the way down to their train and harm administration packages. In the case of athletes, “quick positive factors of profitable a match may very well be messing round with long-term losses”, says Dr Chauhan, including that sportspersons ought to spare a considered their high quality of life as soon as their profession ends.

Sports activities accidents are widespread in athletes

Accidents to shoulders, elbows, knees, legs and ankles are quite common amongst athletes throughout disciplines. These are sometimes known as the hidden prices of excessive efficiency on the sports activities discipline.

Exposing joints to repetitive stress, particularly in high-impact sports activities equivalent to soccer, basketball, and operating, can speed up the wear and tear and tear of cartilage, the tissue that cushions the joints. Over time, this will result in osteoarthritis, the commonest type of arthritis, characterised by the breakdown of cartilage and the following rubbing of bones towards one another.

In accordance with a research printed within the British Journal of Sports activities Medication, one in 4 retired Olympians confronted physician-diagnosed osteoarthritis (OA). Harm was related to an elevated threat of osteoarthritis and ache on the knee, hip and ankle. Additionally, the probability of knee and hip osteoarthritis after harm, was discovered to be better for Olympians in contrast with the final inhabitants.

Ligament tears itself are typically liable for the onset of osteoarthritis. Analysis from the American Journal of Sports activities Medication that people with a historical past of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) accidents are at the next threat of creating knee osteoarthritis.