A study conducted by researchers at Saint Louis University (SLU) revealed that increased Body Mass Index (BMI) does not necessarily increase the odds of injury among pickleball players.

Published last month in Sports Medicine – Open, the study involved a nationwide survey of 1,758 pickleball players aged 18 years and older, who play at least once a month. 

“Unlike other sports where BMI increased the odds of injury, pickleball appears safe for folks who are overweight or obese,” said Olu Owoeye, Ph.D., associate professor of physical therapy at SLU. “Pickleball might be the perfect physical activity intervention for weight control.”

Owoeye notes, however, that research on injury patterns and predictors with respect to pickleball players is still rather limited.

“Pickleball is often underestimated in terms of physical demands. It's crucial to implement evidence-based prevention strategies to ensure players enjoy the sport's benefits while minimizing injury risks,” said Owoeye, who also serves as director of  SLU’s Translational Injury Prevention Lab.

Here are some of the other notable findings from the study:

- 68.5% of participants reported at least one injury over the past 12 months, with 40.8% experiencing time-loss or injuries resulting in at least one day of missed participation from pickleball and/or another form of exercise. 

- One in three players continued to play despite ongoing pain or injury.

- The knee was the most injured body part (29.1%), followed by the lower extremities (26.9%), shoulder (22.2%), back (19.9%), and elbow (18.4%).

- Overuse conditions, joint sprains, and muscle strains/pulls were identified as the most serious injury types.

- Significant predictors of injury included male sex, higher frequency of weekly play, fewer years of play experience, lower perception of injury prevention importance, and age ranging from 33 to 77 years.

- Neither increased duration of play nor higher body mass index significantly increased the odds of injury.

“Researchers say implementing evidence-based neuromuscular warm-up exercises, establishing comprehensive recovery routines, and tailoring programs that focus on improving players’ skills and techniques, especially for novice players, can help reduce injury risk," wrote Bridjes O'Neil, communications specialist at SLU.

O'Neil added that SLU researchers are currently evaluating the effectiveness of a pickleball-specific warm-up and recovery routine to reduce injuries among players.