OBJECTIVE: To examine a school-based high-intensity neuromuscular training (NMT) program in reducing sport injury risk and improving fitness in youth. PARTICIPANTS: Students (ages 11 to 15) (n = 725) in physical education (PE) classes were randomized by school to intervention or control groups. INTERVENTION: A 12-week high-intensity NMT program (including aerobic, strength, balance, and agility components) was designed to reduce sport injury risk and improve measures of fitness. The control program was a standard of practice warm-up (including running and stretching). RESULTS: A Poisson regression model using an intent-to-treat analysis demonstrated a reduced risk of sport injury: incidence rate ratio (IRR) all injury 0.30 (95% CI 0.19 to 0.49), IRR lower extremity injury 0.31 (95% CI 0.19 to 0.51), IRR ankle sprain injury 0.27 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.50), and IRR knee sprain injury 0.36 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.98). A change in waist circumference (-0.99 centimeters (95% CI -1.84 to -0.14)) and an increase in indirect measures of aerobic fitness (1.28 mL/kg/min (95% CI 0.66 to 1.90)) in the intervention school compared with the control school also occurred. CONCLUSIONS: A NMT program in junior high school PE class was efficacious in reducing sport-related injury and improving measures of adiposity and fitness in the intervention group.
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