Triathlon's multi-disciplinary nature not only cranks up fitness and fun, but by spreading training load across the body, it's also deemed a great sport to reduce the chances of injury. Which is wonderful. In theory.
In reality, it's been reported that 62% of triathletes suffer at least one injury per season, both from overuse, where injury strikes through repetition of movement over time, and acute, where injury strikes suddenly, like if you crash.
What follows are many ways to reduce your chances of overuse injury. But what about acute? What happens if you twist an ankle, for instance? Well, that's when it's time to call in the POLICE. This is the updated acronym to RICE and breaks down as: P is for protect so strap up the injury; O and L stand for optimal loading. They're the major changes to RICE. With RICE you were advised to rest but it's been proven to increase recovery time if you can keep a certain amount of movement. (That's not applicable if you're on crutches!) I is for Ice, C for Compression and E is for Elevation.
While injuries are often a part of being an athlete, that doesn't mean you shouldn't take them seriously. Calling 111 to see if you need medical help, or seeing your GP, is always a good idea if you are unsure if pain is something which needs treatment rather than a 'niggle'. With that too, give niggles like strains the time they need to recover, or they could get worse - and follow medical advice and recommendations before taking painkillers.
Anyway, that's all about curing injuries. The here and now is about preventing injuries in the first place...
10 WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR CHANCES OF INJURY
From bike fits to foam rollers, more sleep to self massage, the following tips should ensure you start your 2023 race season as injury-proofed as poss...
01 SHORTEN YOUR CRANKS
Denne historien er fra Spring 2023-utgaven av 220 Triathlon.
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Denne historien er fra Spring 2023-utgaven av 220 Triathlon.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
How to Carb Load - Packing your working cells with carbohydrates in the build-up to your big race is a proven strategy to race stronger and faster...
Whichever distance triathlon you're racing, the intensity and duration of your activity will see your body tap into its stores of carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen) to power your effort. While it's possible to top up your tank on the go, it's better to start your event with your stores full to the brim.
The Olympic Champion - On 31 July, Great Britain's Alex Yee put together arguably the greatest one-day performance we have ever seen at an Olympic Games to win gold. And we were there at the finish line to speak to tri's new poster boy...
The opening line of the race report read how 20 years on from New Zealand’s first and only Olympic triathlon gold medal, Hayden Wilde had put in a careerbest performance to regain the title for his nation. Then Alex Yee comes around the corner.Yee’s charge, seemingly from nowhere on the final lap of the 10km run in Paris, didn’t just help him become the most decorated Olympic male triathlete of all time, and didn’t just cap a rivalry that has been building for six years, it left seasoned watchers of swim, bike, run in awe. It will go down as one of the greatest triathlon races; Yee, still just 26, as one of the greatest triathletes. His medals from Paris added to the two from Tokyo, leaving his haul at two gold, a silver and a bronze, and counting.
"I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE THE GROWTH OF TRIATHLON"
British Triathlon CEO Ruth Daniels talks Paris, her plans to grow tri and her own personal goals... knees allowing
ZWIFT RIDE
£1,199.99 Zwift's new Ride is an indoor bike that might help you break your PB... but won't break the bank
PARIS SHOWED THE VALUE OF OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE
With the spotlight on triathlon like never before at these Games, debutant athletes talked about being overwhelmed by the unique environment
GAMES AT THE GAMES
After watching and enjoying the Olympic triathlon events, Brunt amused himself by playing the 'guess how far into each event I would die' game...
WHERE EAGLES DARE
With little heat prep, the wrong gear choice and a course-recce mistake, would experienced extreme triathlete Sean McFarlane soar like an eagle or drop like a stone in Italy?
HOW TO INCREASE RUN PACE WHEN FATIGUED
The ability to dig deep in the latter stages of a race helped Alex Yee achieve Olympic gold. Here Ben, a member of Team GB's coaching staff in Paris, explains how you too can find that extra gear...
BUYER'S GUIDE: BIKE COMPUTERS
Log your rides, find your way and monitor your multisport training with a quartet of impressive bike computers...
POLAR GRIT X2 PRO
\"You can't be anything other than impressed with the GPS, whose design is one of the significant changes to the V3\"
