Early Exercise Speeds Concussion Recovery

College athletes experiencing concussions during play were about 90% more likely than non-exercisers to enjoy resolution of all symptoms and return to play if they resumed light exercise less than two days post-concussion. Researchers at the University of Michigan Concussion Center headed a multisite study of 1228 collegiate athletes at 30 institutions.

They determined the probability that an athlete would resolve all symptoms and return to active play as a function of when, if ever, they initiated exercise. The exercise timing categories included EARLY, less than 2 days after injury, TYPICAL, 3-7 days post injury, and NEVER. Compared to the NEVER group, the EARLY group was 92% more likely to experience complete symptom resolution and 88% more likely to return to play. These early exercisers also recovered 2 to 3 days faster.

The bottom line: if you’ve had a concussion, get moving within two days after the injury.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-023-01861-w

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