We have spoken about occupational risk factors for osteoarthritis on previous episodes, but one occupation we have not covered is elite level athletes or Olympians. The intense training schedules sometimes lasting up to 6 hours a day make Olympians more susceptible to joint injury. On this week’s episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Dr Debbie Palmer to discuss the prevalence of osteoarthritis in Olympians. Dr Debbie Palmer OLY is a lecturer in research methods and epidemiology. She is a three-time Winter Olympian, and competed in short track speed skating between 1990-2002. Debbie subsequently worked as an exercise physiologist at the University of Bath before completing her PhD in injury epidemiology 2009, and she has worked in sport injury and illness prevention for over 14 years. Debbie’s research focuses on epidemiology, risk and prevention of injury and illness in elite, youth and recreational cohorts, longer-term consequences of sport-related injury, and current and retired athlete health. RESOURCES Prevalence of and factors associated with osteoarthritis and pain in retired Olympians compared with the general population: part 1 – the lower limbPrevalence of and factors associated with osteoarthritis and pain in retired Olympians compared with the general population: part 2 – the spine and upper limbConsequences of injury are greater for Olympians than the general population CONNECT WITH US Twitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.