Orthopedic Surgeon Says All the Activity Can Be Harmful

Dr. Robert Kerlan, an orthopedic surgeon who works for several Southern California professional sports teams said that high school athletes are also often subject to physical burnout.

“The majority of high school athletes, even the multi-sport stars, can overdo it,” Kerlan said. “I see a lot of high school athletes who are injured seriously because they force the issue. Most kids that age have great pain thresholds. Something bothers them, but they continuously shake it off until it’s too late. By then something is seriously wrong.”

Kerlan said the injury most common to high school-aged athletes is chondromalacia, the inflamation of the articular cartilage around the knee cap. It is caused by the constant stress of running, jumping and lifting.

“Everybody is so gung-ho on lifting and running,” Kerlan said. “That’s fine as long as it is supervised closely to make sure it is being done correctly. Exercise can do as much harm as it does good. Sometimes rest is more beneficial to an athlete than another training session.”

Kerlan said that most exceptional athletes have few physical problems at the high school level, though.

“In high school,” Kerlan said, “the most serious burnout problems are most times mental.”