Is CrossFit bad? What does science say about activity?

This text was written by a TecMundo columnist; finally learn more.

If there’s one thing that’s always talked about in conversations when it comes to exercise, it’s CrossFit. You’ve probably heard exciting news from an athlete or seen someone posting their workout routine on social media. They say you don’t need to ask a practitioner if she’s done CrossFit because sooner or later she will tell you. It may seem strange and even dangerous to the uninitiated, but in the end, does CrossFit do any harm? How does modality involve people so strongly?

After these conversations, I became interested in examining this fitness trend with a scientific eye, from different perspectives, now you will understand this and understand this phenomenon in another way.

This trend has revolutionized the world of fitness since its inception in the early 2000s and has brought many people into physical activity and an active lifestyle. Dynamics involving different movements and exercises such as weightlifting, gymnastics, gymnastics, cycling, running, rowing and others, coupled with such features as challenge, commitment and constant change in training meant that people with different fitness levels were included in the pits. all over the world and it’s possible and safe.

What is the relationship between CrossFit and injuries?

I started by scanning the entire scientific literature on CrossFit and injuries to see if it really hurts, as common sense admits. Perhaps this kind of information provided hypotheses for research that showed a completely different outcome.

By compiling injury studies, we cannot say that CrossFit is very harmful, but we have the following data:

• Number of injuries Iunder various sports and exercise modalities;
• Practitioners are not immune to injuries, the areas most commonly injured are: shoulders, lower back and knees;
• The modality is safe for different ages, but professional supervision is essential.

Why is CrossFit successful?

If you’re hesitant to try out of fear, know that science supports this type of exercise. It is also a good option for people who have difficulty in doing sports, have tried the gym many times, and are despairing. When I looked at the studies in the light of the field of exercise psychology, I discovered that:

• The motivation of CrossFit practitioners is diverse, it is the best quality for training – it consists of pleasure, challenge and commitment, because there is a sense of belonging to the community. Have you noticed how happy they are with the work they do? Sharing achievements in education reflects the perception of high competence and being proud of oneself. It can be contagious.

• This special motivation of “Crossfitters” positively affects the commitment and commitment (maintaining) to the CrossFit application. However, dropouts that exist in all modalities and their causes are not yet known.
• CrossFit participants display a perception of high exertion, which at first glance can be difficult for some (including me), because most people would enjoy the exercise if it was moderate-intensity, but it seems that there is probably a compensation. In CrossFit, your psychological side is against the physiological one. The benefits of feeling challenged and empowered, belonging to a social group, and being the protagonist of the practitioner’s training choices mitigate the fact that high-intensity training creates discontent for most people during parts of the session.

Also CrossFit is good for the brain. We found that CrossFit increases the level of an important brain fuel. BNDF is a growth factor that works like a fertilizer that grows new neurons and strengthens existing ones.

More recently, along with other researchers, we have proposed a new name for the modality: Functional Fitness. Thus, both research and practice are not limited to the company promoting such training and can consolidate itself independently of commercial interests.

If you’ve thought about taking up CrossFit training but still have fears or prejudices, shake it off and enjoy, science and other people will be on your side!

fabio dominski He holds a PhD in Human Movement Sciences and a degree in Physical Education from Santa Catarina State University (UDESC). He is a university professor and researcher at the Sport and Exercise Psychology Laboratory (LAPE/CEFID/UDESC). He is the author of Physical Exercise and Science – Facts and Myths and presents the Physical Exercise and Science program on UDESC Joinvile radio (91.9 FM); The show is also available as a podcast on Spotify.