Triathlon Injuries
Triathlon is a relatively new sport and has seen a rapid increase in popularity over the past 30years. Triathletes benefit from the cross-training which balances the load across the body although many (~51%) triathletes suffer an injury within their first year of training which raises the concern of progressing training too quickly.
Common Injuries
Approximately 80-85% of injuries in triathletes are overuse in nature and most commonly occur during the run, particularly just following the bike-run transition. The ankle/foot, knee and lower back are the most common sites of injury.
Training results in microtrauma (causing pain after training) and overuse injuries occur when the body doesn’t fully recover between sessions.
Treating Triathlon Injuries
Treatment options include soft tissue mobilisation, manual therapy, strength/flexibility exercises, training modifications and biomechanical analysis.
Acute management commonly consists of RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) combined with gentle manual therapy/ soft tissue mobilisation and gentle flexibility exercises.
A strengthening program is often required to prevent injury and should be combined with a gradual return to sport. Training load and environment (running surface etc.) are also important considerations.
Biomechanical analysis is complex and includes assessment of your strength/flexibility, footwear, swimming technique, running technique and cycling setup.
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to call on 32454532 and one of our physiotherapists can assist you.
Regards,
Capalaba Physio Works Team