Judge Suspects NSCA Intentionally Published False CrossFit Injury Stats

Judge Suspects NSCA Intentionally Published False CrossFit Injury Stats

A federal judge ruled this past Wednesday that the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) not only published false data in a scientific journ

Sep 29, 2016 by Armen Hammer
Judge Suspects NSCA Intentionally Published False CrossFit Injury Stats
A federal judge ruled this past Wednesday that the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) not only published false data in a scientific journal, but also may have done so intentionally to malign CrossFit.

The article that contained the false information was published in the NCSA's Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2013. It was based on the Devor Study, which evaluated the effects of CrossFit on 54 participants at a gym in Columbus, Ohio. The article reported that, at the end of the study, 11 of the 54 participants dropped out, and nine of the 11 cited "overuse or injury." The authors of the article told the court that Mitch Potterf, the owner of the gym, reported these injuries, but Potterf later testified that he never made those claims.

CrossFit HQ took immediate legal action in 2013, but the 16 percent injury rate -- which is significantly higher than any other fitness activity -- was touted by many as indisputable evidence that CrossFit was dangerous. It helped spur anti-CrossFit sentiments worldwide.

Although the lawsuit is ongoing, U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino said the evidence could now support CrossFit's initial claim that NSCA knew the data were false and "published them anyway in an attempt to protect its position in the market."

The trial deciding this case will likely take place in early 2017.

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