Preventive effect of exercise interventions on sport-related concussion:a systematic review
DUAN Fuwen
ZHANG Beiqi
LI Li
Abstract：Objective To conduct a systematic review of the preventive effect of exercise interventions on sport-related concussions(SRC).
Methods Literatures about the preventive effect of exercise interventions on SRC were searched in databases including CNKI,Wanfang data,VIP,Embase,PubMed,Web of Science,Cochrane Library and EBSCO,with the search scope covering from the establishment of the databases to July 22,2025.The methodological quality of the in-cluded studies was assessed using PEDro Scale,and relevant data were extracted following the PRISMA guide-lines for a systematic review.
Results A total of 29 studies were included.Among them,studies with individuals as the analytical unit included 3 892 participants;studies with teams as the analytical unit involved 41 clubs.Participants came from countries includ-ing the United States,the United Kingdom,Italy,New Zealand,Australia,Canada and Germany.The studies spanned from 2004 to 2025.The scores of PEDro scale was four to eight.Intervention methods comprised tradi-tional neck resistance training,dynamic neck resistance training and injury prevention programs.Traditional neck resistance training(primarily using bodyweight or elastic bands,often involving isometric contractions)typically featured 15 to 35 minutes per session,two to three times per week,for four to 16 weeks.Dynamic neck resis-tance training(involving multi-plane isometric or isokinetic exercises using specialized equipment)typically fea-tured ten to 40 minutes per session,two to three sessions per week,for six to 14 weeks.Injury prevention pro-grams(incorporating neck exercises before/after routine training,integrating neuromuscular control,balance training,perturbation training and technique optimization)typically featured 15 to 20 minutes per session,two to three sessions per week,for three to nine months in the season.Neck strength gains were most robust across all three intervention types,with dynamic training yielding greater multidirectional strength gains compared to tradi-tional training.Some studies also observed improvements in key head kinematic parameters through exercise in-terventions,particularly for individuals using injury prevention programs and those with baseline weak neck strength.A small number of randomized controlled trials confirmed that injury prevention programs reduced SRC incidence,demonstrating a dose-response relationship where greater benefits correlated with higher adherence.
Conclusion Most studies confirm that exercise interventions are effective on preventing SRC,though some individual studies remain controversial.Standardized,sustained and well-adhered-to exercise interventions can reduce SRC risk,which should be promoted as a primary prevention strategy at the team level.
Keywords：sport-related concussionpreventionexercise interventionsystematic review
Publication Date：2025-12-25
Online Publishing Date：2026-01-06(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：13( 1385-1397 )