###### Abstract
Nevertheless, it cannot be said unequivocally that long-term systematic loading in sports training is associated with a higher incidence of spinal pain. The previously published rate of LBP in athletes ranges from 1.1 to 30% [92, 93, 94, 95]. The lifetime prevalence of low back pain ranges between 33 and 84%, with its variability depending on the type of sport [10]. The findings, however, cannot be generalized because, in addition to the type of sport, they are also influenced by gender, intensity of training, frequency of training, or even the sport technique. Greater pain has been reported by experts in sports that have a more pronounced load on the spine [75, 84, 96, 97, 98]. These are predominantly contact sports such as American football, soccer, hockey, floorball, but also golf, weightlifting, and gymnastics [70, 75, 86]. Further reported is a non-significant difference in LB injury rates between contact and non-contact sports [62]. [PERSON] et al. [81] conducted a large study using the questionnaire method (1114 athletes) and found a lifetime prevalence of low back pain of up to 89%, with the lowest prevalence found in triathletes (56%) and the highest--up to 100% in the sports of diving, fencing, and water polo. The odds ratio of developing back pain was significantly higher in elite athletes, and it did not prove possible to unify the type of sport where the prevalence was higher compared than other sports. Some studies have reported higher LBP in athletes compared to non-athletes [3, 7, 75, 93, 99], while conversely, other studies have found no difference in the prevalence of LBP in athletes and non-athletes [85, 94, 100]. LBP also frequently occurs in athletes at a younger age. Pain increases with age and peaks as early as at 13-14 years of age [101]. During the phase of adolescence, according to [PERSON] et al. [102] the spine is vulnerable and sports can induce an increased number of anatomical changes. Despite the plethora of studies dealing with spine and joint injuries and pain in athletes, information on this issue in adult athletes is underrepresented. Most research focuses primarily on injuries and pain in the general population or youth athletes. In Slovakia, these data are completely absent. Similarly, the impact of the above-mentioned difficulties on the quality of life of athletes is lacking. For the purpose of this research, we have selected the three most popular team sports in Slovakia, and from the individual sports we have chosen combat sports, which have a higher prevalence of injuries and pain in the spine and joints compared to other individual sports. The set of elite athletes will be compared with athletes who do sports at a lower performance level. The primary objective will be to determine the prevalence of spine and extremity injuries and back and joint pain in athletes in selected sports. In addition, the project could also help to obtain information on the localization of injuries and pain in Slovak athletes. The secondary objective will be to monitor the quality of life of athletes with respect to the prevalence of spine and joint pain. Based on the available literature, we hypothesize that there will be a higher prevalence of lower limb injuries in the team sports group than in the individual sports group. Conversely, we expect a higher prevalence of injuries in the individual sports group compared to the team sports group. We do not expect differences in spinal pain between collective and individual sports. We expect a reduced quality of life in the group of athletes with low back pain compared to athletes who have been injured at some point in time.