Badminton the Physical Demands and Injury Sites

Mills (1977) described badminton as moderate activity requiring relatively low energy requirments. However, the same author clearly identified that at higher levels of play and competition the energy requirements would be much higher as the sport requires speed, stamina and strength.

Mills (1977) reflected on his experience as an international badminton player and coach to summarise the physiological demands of badminton (see below):

• Intermittent work periods
• High intensity activity
• Short rest periods
• Involving rapid whole body movements 
• Staccato footwork
• Strokes played at the extreme end of posture / mobility

Mills (1977) considered injuries were generated from the demands of the sport and caused problems in a number of key sites namely legs and arm.

This early paper identified some commonly occurring Badminton related injuries (See table 1 below):

Table 1: Common badminton injuries, re-produced with reference to original paper (Mills 1977).

Recommendations

Mills (1977) recommended the development of strength and mobility so as to provide the necessary level of stability to effectively protect joints from sport specific injury. The author also considered the development of both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems as important to sports related performance.

Reference

Mills (1977).

Injuries in Badminton.

Br J Sports Med 1977; 11:51-53.