Researchers at Virginia Tech have created a 5-star, unbiased rating system for helmets that consumers can buy for sports such as football, cycling, equestrian sports, and hockey. Those with higher ratings are better at preventing injuries such as concussion.
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting from an accelerated impact that causes the head to move backwards and forwards rapidly. Even though youth sports have lower impacts than adult sports, youth players are at greater risk of suffering a concussion because of several anatomical reasons:
- Young players have larger heads relative to their bodies than adult players
- The protective myelin around the brain is not fully developed
- Their neck muscles are also not as strong which reduces their ability to prevent large neck movements upon impact
Meet the researchers:
Dr. Stefan Duma (he/him)
Stefan is one of the founders of The Helmet Lab. As a child, he always enjoyed building things and understanding how devices worked. He would spend a great deal of time with his father taking apart items and fixing things around the house. As an adult, he enjoys spending time with his family and coaching basketball. He believes that there are many life-lessons learned in preparing for a sport and preparing for a career.
Dr. Steve Rowson (he/him)
Steve is the other founder of The Helmet Lab. He also loved learning about how things worked as a child. When he isn’t working at The Helmet Lab, he spends time with his family and has a passion for physical activity and fitness by training at his local CrossFit gym.