Injuries are a problem that are unavoidable when it comes to sports. The chances of getting hurt are always there. There are many factors that cause injuries when participating in sports. Overuse, falls, improper equipment, technique are a few factors out of many that can cause injuries to athletes but one that is not talked about as much is playing surfaces. The idea that playing surfaces like artificial turf are harmful to athletes is a controversial topic because there are many critics that don’t believe that artificial turf can cause more injuries. However, it has been proven that artificial surfaces have flaws that cause injuries to athletes to increase. Factors like temperature, traction and impact reduction cause more harm to athletes
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The Astroturf was the first synthetic turf created in 1965. This turf reduced the amount of maintenance, but resembled more of a carpet. Field Turf is the most recent type of turf which is mixed with rubber and sand. (Livesay,Reda, & Nauman 2006) Although the turf has advanced greatly compared the original synthetic fields. Field turf increases speed, acceleration and torque while playing, which untimely leads to more injuries. Due to the fact that artificial turf originated in 1965, some critics feel that there is not enough evidence to really prove the long term affects of artificial turf on athlete’s bodies. Most products have a short history to draw from to have a proven result. More scientific research is needed to be able to directly asses’ reliability, longevity and negative impact. There has also been debates that it is not the surface that is causing the injuries but the type of shoes that athletes are wearing. Shoes offer external support, joint stability and surface traction which are very important for player success. It is also important to note that if a shoe is not performing well then injuries are more likely to occur. A study between Nike cleat on two on natural grass and artificial turf showed no significance differences on the surface traction but it did see a difference on the amount of force placed on the region that can cause foot fixation and can lead up to ACL injury.
The Astroturf was the first synthetic turf created in 1965. This turf reduced the amount of maintenance, but resembled more of a carpet. Field Turf is the most recent type of turf which is mixed with rubber and sand. (Livesay,Reda, & Nauman 2006) Although the turf has advanced greatly compared the original synthetic fields. Field turf increases speed, acceleration and torque while playing, which untimely leads to more injuries. Due to the fact that artificial turf originated in 1965, some critics feel that there is not enough evidence to really prove the long term affects of artificial turf on athlete’s bodies. Most products have a short history to draw from to have a proven result. More scientific research is needed to be able to directly asses’ reliability, longevity and negative impact. There has also been debates that it is not the surface that is causing the injuries but the type of shoes that athletes are wearing. Shoes offer external support, joint stability and surface traction which are very important for player success. It is also important to note that if a shoe is not performing well then injuries are more likely to occur. A study between Nike cleat on two on natural grass and artificial turf showed no significance differences on the surface traction but it did see a difference on the amount of force placed on the region that can cause foot fixation and can lead up to ACL injury.