We Know Turf Hurts – Now There’s Proof

We’ve all felt that umpiring (and obviously playing) on turf is harder on our joints that old-school natural grass, but now you can point to a study to prove it. A former college football wide receiver and now orthopedic surgeon is studying the comparative strain put on knee joints by different shoes and surfaces and found that Astroturf puts 80% more strain on the knee than grass, and “next-gen surfaces” are 45% more stressful.

We can only hope that further research will be taken into account by the “next-gen” surface manufacturers in making their products safer for the athletes – players and officials both – who perform on them.

(Read More – Wired.com – “Cadaver Legs Give New Insights Into Athletes’ Ligament Tears”)