Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center

Details about researcher: Ben Clarsen

CV

Ben Clarsen studied physiotherapy at the University of Sydney between 1996 and 2001 and completed a Master in sports physiotherapy at the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences between 2007 and 2009. 

In January 2015 he defended his PhD at the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center focusing on overuse injuries in sports. Ben remains an active member of our research group, and is responsible for injury and illness surveillance for the Norwegian Olympic Sports Program (Olympiatoppen).

Ben also works clinically as a sports physiotherapist, and has a particular interest in the management of overuse injuries. Over the past decade he has worked for several professional cycling teams and the Australian and Norwegian national teams. He has worked on the UCI Pro Tour for a number of seasons, as well as at numerous World Cycling Championships,  the Tour de France and Olympic Games.

He is a former member of the Australian national rowing team and a silver medal winner from the 1997 under-23 world championships.

Projects

• ostRc: a toolbox for handling self-reported injury data

  Project manager: Lena Kristin Bache-Mathiesen

• Modelling relative training load and injury risk

  Project manager: Lena Kristin Bache-Mathiesen

• The effect of the menstrual cycle and use of hormonal contraceptives on the risk of health problems in women’s premier league football in Norway – A 2-year prospective cohort study

  Project manager: Solveig Thorarindsdottir

• Assessing the cumulative effect of long-term training load on the risk of sports injury

  Project manager: Lena Kristin Bache-Mathiesen

• ReadyToPlay – Injury and illness in female elite football players

  Project manager: Roar Amundsen, Solveig Thorarindsdottir, Markus Vagle

• ParaFRISK – prevention of para athletes´ health

  Project manager: Kathrin Steffen

• Prevailing high illness burden for elite Para athletes

  Project manager: Kathrin Steffen

• Methods, challenges and benefits of a health monitoring program

  Project manager: Ben Clarsen

• Association of training and game loads to injury risk in junior male elite ice hockey players: a prospective cohort study

  Project manager: Anine Nordstrøm

• Association between preseason fitness level and risk of injury or illness in male elite ice hockey players - a prospective cohort study

  Project manager: Anine Nordstrøm

• How to handle missing data

  Project manager: Lena Kristin Bache-Mathiesen

• Not straightforward: modelling non-linearity in training load and injury research

  Project manager: Lena Kristin Bache-Mathiesen

• Methodological differences in analysing the relationship between the Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio and injury

  Project manager: Torstein Dalen-Lorentsen

• Training load, injury and physical performance in Norwegian elite female football

  Project manager: Markus Vagle

• Prevalence and burden of self-reported health problems in junior elite male ice hockey players - a 44-week prospective cohort study

  Project manager: Anine Nordstrøm

• The prevalence and burden of health problems in male senior ice hockey - a prospective study in the Norwegian professional league

  Project manager: Anine Nordstrøm

• Can training load management decrease injury and illness risk in elite youth-football?

  Project manager: Torstein Dalen-Lorentsen

• Prevalence of health problems in elite-youth football

  Project manager: Torstein Dalen-Lorentsen

• Groin problems in male soccer players are more common than previously reported

  Project manager: Joar Harøy

• Injury and illness surveillance in the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Team

  Project manager: Ben Clarsen

• Risk factors for overuse shoulder injuries among elite male handball players

  Project manager: Ben Clarsen

• A new method for registration of overuse injuries

  Project manager: Ben Clarsen

• Overuse injuries in professional road cycling

  Project manager: Ben Clarsen

Publications

• 2023

  • A new statistical approach to training load and injury risk: separating the acute from the chronic load

    Bache-Mathiesen, Lena Kristin; Andersen, Thor Einar; Dalen- Lorentsen, Torstein; Tabben, Montassar; Chamari, Karim; Clarsen, Benjamin; Wang Fagerland, Morten

    Biology of Sport 2023 41(1):119–134

  • Illness and injury among Norwegian Para athletes over five consecutive Paralympic Summer and Winter Games cycles: prevailing high illness burden on the road from 2012 to 2020

    Steffen, Kathrin; Clarsen, Benjamin; Gjelsvik, Hilde; Haugvad, Lars; Koivisto-Mørk, Anu; Bahr, Roald; Moseby Berge, Hilde

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2022 Feb;56(4):204-21

  • #ReadyToPlay: health problems in women's football-a two-season prospective cohort study in the Norwegian Premier League

    Amundsen, Roar; Thorarinsdottir, Solveig; Clarsen, Benjamin; Andersen, Thor Einar; Møller, Merete; Bahr, Roald

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2023 Nov 15 (Online ahead of print)

  • Cross-sectional study of characteristics and prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints in 1170 male golfers

    Murray, Andrew; Junge, Astrid; Robinson, Patrick Gordon; Clarsen, Ben; Mountjoy, Margo Lynn; Drobny, Tomas; Gill, Lance; Gazzano, Francois; Voight, Mike; Dvorak, Jiri

    BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2023 Mar 27;9(1):e001504. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001504. eCollection 2023.

  • Injury and illness among Norwegian Olympic athletes during preparation for five consecutive Summer and Winter Games

    Clarsen, Benjamin; Moseby Berge, Hile; Bendiksen, Fredrik; Fossan, Bjørn; Fredriksen, Hilde; Haugvad, Lars; Kjelsberg, Mona; Rønsen, Ola; Steffen, Kathrin; Torgalsen, Thomas; Bahr, Roald

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2023 Dec 8:bjsports-2023-107128. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-107128. Online ahead of print.

• 2022

  • Mental health in elite student athletes - exploring the link between training volume and mental health problems in Norwegian college and university students

    Grasdalsmoen, Michael; Clarsen, Benjamin; Sivertsen, Børge

    Front Sports Act Living. 2022 Feb 1;4:817757. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2022.817757. eCollection 2022

  • Association between preseason fitness level and risk of injury or illness in male elite ice hockey players - a prospective cohort study

    Nordstrøm, Anine; Bahr, Roald; Clarsen, Ben; Talsnes, Ove

    Orthop J Sports Med. 2022 Feb; 10(2): 23259671221076849. Published online 2022 Feb 22. doi: 10.1177/23259671221076849

  • Injury and illness in elite athletics - a prospective cohort study over three seasons

    Kelly, Shane; Pollock, Noel; Polglass, George; Clarsen, Ben

    IJSPT. 2022;17(3):420-433. doi.org/10.26603/001c.32589

  • Association of Training and Game Loads to Injury Risk in Junior Male Elite Ice Hockey Players: A Prospective Cohort Study

    Nordstrøm, Anine; Bahr, Roald; Bache-Mathiesen, Lena Kristin; Clarsen, Ben; Talsnes, Ove

    The Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine 2022:10(10): eCollection 2022 Oct.

  • Injury characteristics in Norwegian male professional football: A comparison between a regular season and a season in the pandemic

    Dalen-Lorentsen, Torsten; Andersen, Thor Einar; Thorbjørnsen, Christian; Brown, Michael; Tovi, David; Braastad, Anders, Lindinger, Tom Gerald; Williams, Christian; Moen, Eirik; Clarsen, Ben, Bjørneboe, John

    Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 2022 Oct 21;4:915581. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2022.915581. eCollection 2022.

  • Handling and reporting missing data in training load and injury risk research

    Bache-Mathiesen, Lena K; Andersen, Thor Einar; Clarsen, Benjamin; Fagerland, Morten Wang

    Science & Medicine in Football 2022:Nov;6(4):452-464

  • Assessing the cumulative effect of long-term training load on the risk of injury in team sports

    Bache-Mathiesen, Lena Kristin; Andersen, Thor Einar; Dalen-Lorentsen, Torstein; Clarsen, Benjamin; Fagerland, Morten Wang

    BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2022:May 30;8(2):e001342. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001342. eCollection 2022.

  • Prevalence and burden of health problems in top-level football referees

    Moen, Christian; Andersen, Thor Einar; Clarsen, Ben; Madsen-Kaarød, Gitte; Dalen-Lorentsen, Torstein

    Science & Medicine in Football 2023 May;7(2):131-138

• 2021

  • A cherry, ripe for picking - the relationship between the acute-chronic workload ratio and health problems

    Dalen-Lorentsen, Torstein; Andersen, Thor Einar; Bjørneboe, John; Vagle, Markus; Martin, Kevin Nordanger; Kleppen, Michael; Wang Fagerland, Morten; Clarsen, Benjamin

    J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2021 Apr;51(4):162-173. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2021.9893. Epub 2021 Jan 20.

  • Methods, challenges and benefits of a health monitoring programme for Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic athletes: the road from London 2012 to Tokyo 2020

    Clarsen, Ben; Steffen, Kathrin; Moseby Berge, Hilde; Bendiksen, Fredrik; Fossan, Bjørn; Fredriksen, Hilde, Gjelsvik, Hilde; Haugvad, Lars, Kjelsberg, Mona; Rønsen, Ola; Torgalsen, Thomas; Walløe, Anders; Bahr, Roald

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2021: Published online May

  • Statement on methods in sport injury research from the 1st METHODS MATTER Meeting, Copenhagen, 2019

    Nielsen, Rasmus Oestergaard; Shrier, Ian; Casals, Marti; Nettel-Aguirre, Albertro Møller, Merete; Bolling, Caroline; Bittencourt, Natália Franco Netto; Clarsen, Benjamin; Wedderkopp, Niels; Soligard, Torbjørn; Timpka, Toomas; Emery, Carolyn; Bahr, Roald; Jacobsson, Jenny; Whiteley, Rod; Dahlstrom, Orjan; van Dyk, Nicol; Pluim, Babette M; Stamatakis, Emmanuel; Palacios-Derflingher, Luz; Fagerland, Morten Wang; Khan, Karim; Ardern, Clare L; Verhagen, Evert

    Br J Sports Med 20 Aug;54(15):941. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-101323. Epub 2020 May 4.

  • Incidence, prevalence, severity, and risk factors for hip and groin problems in Swedish male ice hockey – A one-season prospective cohort study

    Wörner, Tobias; Thorborg, Kristian; Clarsen, Benjamin; Eek, Frida

    J Athl Train. 2021 May 26. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-0522.20. Online ahead of print.

  • Carefully executed studies of illness in elite sport: still room to improve methods in at least five ways

    Berge, Hilde Moseby; Clarsen, Ben

    Br J Sports Med. 2016 Jul;50(13):773-4. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096411

  • New data on illness in elite sport - are immediate flights home after competition a changeable risk factor?

    Berge, Hilde Moseby; Clarsen, Ben

    Editorial Br J Sports Med. 2016 Jul;50(13):772-3. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096378.

  • Not straightforward - modelling non-linearity in training load and injury research

    Bache-Mathiesen, Lena Kristin; Andersen, Thor Einar; Dalen-Lorentsen, Torstein; Clarsen, Benjamin; Fagerland, Morten Wang

    Bache-Mathiesen LK, et al. BMJ Open Sp Ex Med 2021;7:e001119. doi:10.1136/bmjsem-2021-001119

  • Facilitators and barriers for implementation of a load management intervention in football

    Dalen-Lorentsen, Torstein; Ranvik, Andreas; Bjørneboe, John; Clarsen, Benjamin; Andersen, Thor Einar

    BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2021 Jun 22;7(2):e001046. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2021-001046. eCollection 2021

  • Prevalence and burden of health problems in competitive adolescent distance runners: A 6-month prospective cohort study

    Mann, Robert H; Clarsen, Benjamin M; McKay, Carly D; Clift, Bryan C; Williams, Craig A; Barker, Alan R

    Journal of Sports Sciences 2021:39(12):1366-1375

  • Tennis-specific extension of the International Olympic Committee consensus statement: methods for recording and reporting of epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport 2020

    Verhagen, Evert; Clarsen, Benjamin; Capel-Davies, Jamie; Collins, Christy; Derman, Wayne; de Winter, Don; Dunn, Nicky; Ellenbecker, Todd S; Forde, Raymond; Hainline, Brian; Larkin, Jo; Reid, Machar; Renstrøm, Per Afh; Stroia, Kathleen; Wolstenholme, Sue; Pluim, Babette M

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2021:55(1):9-13

  • Prevalence and Burden of Self-Reported Health Problems in Junior Male Elite Ice Hockey Players: A 44-Week Prospective Cohort Study

    Nordstrøm, Anine; Bahr, Roald; Clarsen, Benjamin; Talsnes, Ove

    American Journal of Sports Medicine 2021:49(12):3379-3385

  • Illness and injury among Norwegian Para athletes over five consecutive Paralympic Summer and Winter Games cycles - prevailing high illness burden on the road from 2012 to 2020

    Steffen, Kathrin; Clarsen, Benjamin; Gjelsvik, Hilde; Haugvad, Lars; Koivisto-Mørk, Anu; Bahr, Roald; Berge, Hilde Moseby

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2022 56(4):204-212

• 2020

  • Prevalence and Burden of Health Problems in Male Elite Ice Hockey Players: A Prospective Study in the Norwegian Professional League

    Nordstrøm, Anine; Bahr, Roald; Talsnes, Ove; Clarsen, Ben

    Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine 2020: Published online Feb 19

  • International Olympic Committee consensus statement: methods for recording and reporting of epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport 2020 (including STROBE Extension for Sport Injury and Illness Surveillance (STROBE-SIIS))

    Bahr, Roald; Clarsen, Ben; Derman, W; Dvorak, Jiri; Emery, CA; Finch, CF; Hägglund, Martin; Junge, Astrid; Kemp, Simon; Khan, Karim M; Marshall, SW; Meeuwisse, W; Mountjoy, M; Orchard JW; Pluim, B; Quarrie, KL; Reider, B; Schwellnus, M; Soligard, Torbjørn; Stokes, KA; Timpka, T; Verhagen, E; Bindra, A; Budgett, Richard; Engebretsen, Lars; Erdener, Uğur; Chamari, K

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2020:54(7):372-389

  • Does load management using the acute:chronic workload ratio prevent health problems? A cluster randomised trial of 482 elite youth footballers of both sexes

    Dalen-Lorentsen, Torstein; Bjørneboe, John; Clarsen, Ben; Vagle, Markus; Fagerland, Morten Wang; Andersen, Thor Einar

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2020; Accepted Sept 10

  • Statement on Methods in Sport Injury Research From the 1st METHODS MATTER Meeting, Copenhagen, 2019

    Nielsen, RO; Shrier, I; Casals, M; Nettel-Aguirre, A; Møller, M; Bolling, C; Bittencourt, NFN; Clarsen, Ben; Wedderkopp, N; Soligard, Torbjørn; Timpka, T; Emery, CA; Bahr, Roald; Jacobsson, J; Whiteley, R; Dahlström, O; van Dyk, N; Pluim, BM; Stamatakis, E; Palacios-Derflingher, L; Fagerland, Morten W; Khan, K; Ardern, CL; Verhagen, E

    Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy 2020:50(5):226-233

  • Improved Reporting of Overuse Injuries and Health Problems in Sport: An Update of the Oslo Sport Trauma Research Center Questionnaires

    Clarsen, Benjamin; Bahr, Roald; Myklebust, Grethe; Andersson, Stig Haugsbø; Docking, Sean Iain; Drew, Michael; Finch, Caroline F; Fortington, Lauren Victoria; Harøy, Joar; Khan, Karim M; Moreau, Bill; Moore, Isabel S; Møller, Merete; Nabhan, Dustin; Nielsen, Rasmus Oestergaard; Pasanen, Kati; Schwellnus, Martin; Soligard, Torbjørn; Verhagen, Evert

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2020:54(7):390-396

• 2019

  • Infographic. The Adductor Strengthening Programme prevents groin problems among male football players

    Harøy, Joar; Pope, David; Clarsen, Ben; Wiger, Espen Guldahl; Øyen, Mari Glomnes; Serner, Andreas; Thorborg, Kristian; Hölmich, Per; Andersen, Thor Einar, Bahr, Roald

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2019:53(1):45-46

• 2018

  • The Adductor Strengthening Programme prevents groin problems among male football players: a cluster-randomised controlled trial

    Harøy, Joar; Clarsen, Ben; Wiger, EG; Øyen, MG; Serner, Andreas; Thorborg, Kristian; Hölmich, Per; Andersen, Thor Einar; Bahr, Roald

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2019:53(3):150-157

  • The prevalence and severity of health problems in youth elite sports: a 6-month prospective cohort study of 320 athletes

    Moseid, Christine Holm; Myklebust, Grethe; Fagerland, Morten; Clarsen, Ben; Bahr, Roald

    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports 2018:28(4):1412-1423

• 2017

  • Groin problems in male soccer players are more common than previously reported

    Harøy, Joar; Clarsen, Ben; Thorborg, Kristian; Hölmich, Per; Bahr, Roald; Andersen, Thor Einar

    American Journal of Sports Medicine 2017:45(6):1304-1308

  • Risk factors for overuse shoulder injuries in a mixed-sex cohort of 329 elite handball players: previous findings could not be confirmed

    Andersson, Stig Haugsbø; Bahr, Roald; Clarsen, Ben; Myklebust, Grethe

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2018:52(18):1191-1198

• 2016

  • Preventing overuse shoulder injuries among throwing athletes: a cluster-randomised controlled trial in 660 elite handball players

    Andersson, Stig Haugsboe; Bahr, Roald; Clarsen, Ben; Myklebust, Grethe

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2017:51(14):1073-1080

  • How much is too much? (Part 2) - International Olympic Committee consensus statement on load in sport and risk of illness

    Schwellnus, Martin; Soligard, Torbjørn; Alonso, Juan-Manuel; Bahr, Roald; Clarsen, Ben; Dijkstra, Paul; Gabbett, Tim; Gleeson, Michael; Hägglund, Martin; Hutchinson, Mark; Van Rensburg, Christa; Meeusen, Romain; Orchard, Johan; Pluim, Babette; Raftery, Martin; Budgett, Richard; Engebretsen, Lars

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2016:50(17):1043-1052

  • How much is too much? (Part 1) - International Olympic Committee consensus statement on load in sport and risk of injury

    Soligard, Torbjørn; Schwellnus, Martin; Alonso, Juan-Manuel; Bahr, Roald; Clarsen, Ben; Dijkstra, Paul; Gabbett, Tim; Gleeson, Michael; Hägglund, Martin; Hutchinson, Mark; Van Rensburg, Christa; Khan, Karim; Meeusen, Romain; Orchard, Johan; Pluim, Babette; Raftery, Martin; Budgett, Richard; Engebretsen, Lars

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2016:50(17):1030-1041

  • German translation and content validation of the OSTRC Questionnaire on overuse injuries and health problems

    Hirschmüller, Anja; Steffen, Kathrin; Fassbender, Katharina; Clarsen, Ben; Leonhard; Konstantinidis; Südkamp; Kubosch, Eva Johanna

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2017:51(4):260-263

• 2015

  • Striking the balance between too little and too much physical activity

    Berge, Hilde Moseby; Clarsen, Ben

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2015:49(11):701

  • Overuse injuries in sport - Development, validation and application of a new surveillance method

    Clarsen, Ben

    Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway, 2015.

  • A one-season prospective study of injuries and illness in elite junior tennis

    Pluim, Babette; Loeffen, Frank; Clarsen, Ben; Bahr, Roald; Verhagen, Evert

    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports 2016:26(5):564-571

• 2014

  • Reduced glenohumeral rotation, external rotation weakness and scapular dyskinesis are risk factors for shoulder injuries among elite male handball players: a prospective cohort study

    Clarsen, Ben; Bahr, Roald; Andersson, Stig Haugsboe; Munk, Rikke; Myklebust, Grethe

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2014:48(17):1327-1333

  • Matching the choice of injury/illness definition to study setting, purpose and design: one size does not fit all!

    Clarsen, Ben; Bahr, Roald

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2014:48(7):510-512

  • The prevalence and impact of overuse injuries in five Norwegian sports: Application of a new surveillance method

    Clarsen, Ben; Bahr, Roald; Heymans, MW; Engedahl, Martin; Midtsundstad, Guri; Rosenlund, Linn; Thorsen, Gro; Myklebust, Grethe

    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports 2015:25(3):323-330

  • Injury and illness definitions and data collection procedures for use in epidemiological studies in Athletics (track and field): consensus statement

    Timpka, T; Alonso, JM; Jacobsson, J; Junge, Astrid; Branco, P; Clarsen, Ben; Kowalski, J; Mountjoy, M; Nilsson, S; Pluim, B; Renström, P; Rønsen, Ola; Steffen, Kathrin; Edouard, P

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2014:48(7):483-490

• 2013

  • High prevalence of overuse injury among iron-distance triathletes

    Andersen, Christian; Clarsen, Ben; Johansen, Tone; Engebretsen, Lars

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2013:47(13):857-61

  • Sports injury prevention:Mission Possible!

    Berge, Hilde Moseby; Clarsen, Ben

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2013:47(8):467-468

  • Development and validation of a new method for the registration of overuse injuries in sports injury epidemiology: the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre (OSTRC) Overuse Injury Questionnaire

    Clarsen, Benjamin; Myklebust, Grethe; Bahr, Roald

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2013:47(8):495-502

  • The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center questionnaire on health problems: a new approach to prospective monitoring of illness and injury in elite athletes

    Clarsen, Benjamin; Rønsen, Ola; Myklebust, Grethe; Flørenes, Tonje Wåle; Bahr, Roald

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2014:48(9):754-760

  • A peek into the future of sports medicine: the digital revolution has entered our pitch

    Verhagen, Evert; Clarsen, Ben; Bahr, Roald

    British Journal of Sports Medicine 2014:48(9):739-740

• 2010

  • Overuse injuries in professional road cyclists

    Clarsen, Ben; Krosshaug, Tron; Bahr, Roald

    American Journal of Sports Medicine 2010:38(12):2494-2501