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By Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian
January 16th, 2008
McClatchy Newspapers
Elaine Gill, 16, wanted to run faster. So she started running more. A lot more.
Sometimes she'd run 50 miles a week.
At first the extra miles paid off for the St. Louis resident, and Elaine cut several minutes off her 5K cross country time. Then, during a race, a bone in her foot broke. Now, she can't run at all.
Such is the plight of a growing number of athletes, both male and female, who train their young bodies past the point of diminishing returns and right into injuries.
The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that more than 30 million children and teens participate in organized sports each year. Of those, about 3.5 million seek treatment for overuse injuries and chronic fatigue from overtraining.
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