Injuries are common during athletic activities, including sports like mountain biking. As coaches, we know crashes are inevitable and that part of our duty is to try and mitigate risk as much as possible. We can use training zones to help us manage these risks thoughtfully.
With the start of the fall racing season comes rising temperatures, leading us all to look for ways to stay cool and safe out on the trails. Higher temps introduce a range of factors teams and coaches must consider, from hydration and preventing heat-related injury to heat acclimation.
We want the next generation of riders to enjoy our sport as much as we do! So how can we prevent burnout in our athletes and ourselves?
As coaches, we know crashes are inevitable. Part of our duty is to try and mitigate risk as much as possible. We can approach this by adequately teaching athletes proper skills, selecting appropriate trails for practice sessions, and educating riders on the inherent risk of the sport. While there are many factors that contribute to a crash, there’s one common theme across the research: fatigue. When athletes are fatigued they are much more likely to make mistakes that lead to injuries. Learn how to prevent injury with the use of training zones in your practice.