Essay On Artificial Turf

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The debate on artificial turf continues to rage on. Artificial turf has been structurally designed to be a safer surface than grass and to be unaffected by weather. Have engineers succeeded in their goal? It has been said that artificial turf has different properties than grass, and when forces act upon it, artificial turf reacts differently and causes more injuries. I have played the majority of my sports on artificial turf over the last couple years. I have always wondered if the artificial turf has any effect on injuries. Obviously I want to play on the safest surface possible. Is artificial turf that surface? This paper will answer the research question: In what ways does artificial turf affect player injuries? Multiple studies have been …show more content…

The material used to make artificial turf adds excess friction between your shoe and the turf. This is one of the main reasons professional athletes dislike artificial turf. The added friction increases the rotational torque when you plant and turn. An increase in torque has been directly linked to an increase in ligament injuries, such as ACL tears or knee injuries (Jay Williams, 2013). It has been said that if μ > 0.40 it is unsafe to play on that surface. In fact, changing the type of shoe you wear could have an impact on whether you get injured or not. Special shoes are being made that are specifically designed for turf. The bottom of the sole is made to endure the least amount of friction possible, which decreases the amount of torque. When kept in good condition, artificial turf tends to be flat and thus an easier surface to run on. Flat surfaces are obviously much less likely to cause you injuries from just running. When compared to grass, artificial turf significantly decreases the amount of non-contact injuries (Laird Harrison, 2014). These injuries occur often on grass because the field is normally un-level and could dip randomly. Lastly, artificial turf increases the amount of skin injuries. When turf becomes older, the blade length decreases, this causes a rougher surface than grass. This type of injury is commonly called “turf

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