Zero to Hero

THAT'S WHY YOU NEED A RECOVERY PLAN THAT'LL SEE YOU RETURN STRONGER THAN EVER...

- James Witts

01 Make a diagnosis

As cyclists, we're constantly dealing with aches and pains. So, and it sounds like a daft question, how do you know if you're injured? Well, it helps to identify the two key types of injury. "You either endure acute or chronic injury," explains bike-fitter Phil Burt, who formerly worked with Team Sky but now treats recreational riders at the Manchester Institute of Health and Performance. "

Acute is an instant injury, a classic example being a broken collarbone where you fly off your bike and put your hand down to cushion the fall. A chronic injury is one that builds over time and is essentially an overuse injury." Acute injuries are suffered during accidents, with South African research suggesting that over 50% of cases are caused by clashes with motor vehicles, obstacles and road surface damage, while mechanicals account for up to 24% of injuries. The most common injuries sustained were abrasions, lacerations and haematomas, which accounted for 40-60% of total injuries recorded. Fractures (6-15%) were the second most frequent type of injury. Head injuries (including concussions) accounted for 5-15% of injuries with musculotendinous injuries accounting for 2-17.5%. Not surprisingly, the clavicle was the "prevalent fracture".

Chronic injuries are equally as frequent with one survey among 294 male and 224 female recreational cyclists revealing that 85% of cyclists reported one or more overuse injury, with 36% of these reported as severe enough to warrant medical attention. The most common anatomical sites for overuse injuries were the neck (48.8%), knee (41.7%), groin/buttock area (36.1%), hands (31.1%) and lower back (30.3%).