Physical activity and recovery following concussion in collegiate athletes: a LIMBIC MATARS Consortium Investigation

ABSTRACT

Objective

To investigate whether routine daily activities (RDA), non-prescribed exercise (Non-ERx), or prescribed exercise (ERx) were associated with recovery from sport-related concussion (SRC) in collegiate athletes.

Materials and Methods

Data for this cross-sectional, retrospective chart review of collegiate athletes diagnosed with SRC (n = 285[39.6% female], age = 19.5 ± 1.4 years) were collected during the 2015–16 to 2019–20 athletic seasons. The independent variable was group (RDA, Non-ERx, ERx). Dependent variables included days from date of diagnosis to symptom resolution (Dx-SR) and SR to return to sport (SR-RTS).

Results

Those in the Non-ERx group took nearly 1.3 times longer to achieve SR (IRR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.46) and, 1.8 times longer for RTS (IRR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.11, 2.71) when compared to those in the RDA group. No other comparisons were significant.

Conclusion

Collegiate athletes in the Non-ERx group took approximately 1 week longer to achieve SR as compared to the RDA and ERx groups. Our findings suggest that if exercise is recommended following SRC, it must be clearly and specifically prescribed. If exercise parameters cannot be prescribed, or monitored, RDA appear to be similarly beneficial during recovery for collegiate athletes with concussion.

KEYWORDS:

• Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)
• exercise
• exercise prescription
• rehabilitation
• head injury

Acknowledgments

The authorship would like to acknowledge the contributing LIMBIC MATARS site investigators: Michelle Kirk, M.D. and David Gable, ATC, (Texas Christian University), Brett Mortensen, Ph.D., Michael J. Larson, Ph.D., (Brigham Young University), Erica Beidler, Ph.D. (Duquesne University), James Day, Ed.D. (Augustana University), Thayne Munce, Ph.D. and Allison Peplowski (University of South Dakota), Trish Kelshaw, Ph.D., (University of New Hampshire), Kristin Wilmoth, Ph.D., Nyaz Didehbani, Ph.D., and C. Munro Cullum, Ph.D., (The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center), Meredith Decker, Ph.D., (The University of Texas at Arlington), Tom Campbell, Ph.D (Old Dominion University), Monique Pappadis, Ph.D. (The University of Texas Medical Branch), Sean Ahonen, ATC (Virginia Union University), Verle Valentine, M.D. (Sanford Health), Kate Higgins, Psy.D. and Heather Bouchard, M.A. (University of Nebraska), Jessica Wallace, Ph.D. (University of Alabama), Jessica Gill, Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University), Catherine Donahue, M.Ed., Daniel Rosenblum, M.Ed., Donna Broshek, Ph.D. and Rachel Smetana, Ph.D. (University of Virginia), Tom Bowman, Ph.D., ATC, Caroline Wesley Siler, MS, ATC, and Tenesha Helm, MSAT, ATC (University of Lynchburg), Samuel Walton, Ph.D., and Jessie Oldham, Ph.D. (Virginia Commonwealth University) as well as the NCAA collegiate athletes who contributed to this dataset.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

SRW reports receipt of honorarium and travel costs from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA; 2022). JER has received funding by the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium.