An elite athlete of mine recently got injured running intervals on the track in a build up for a major race. This got me to thinking. Nothing hurts performance more than an injury yet training hard is one key to getting better.
Athletes when healthy always think they can push themselves harder. If they change coaches it may be for a coach who they think will push them harder than their current coach does. But, I have never seen a coach post any information regarding how many of their clients were injured in the previous year or what those injuries were. It seems to me that this would be useful information to have when comparing coaches. Which coach would you choose, one where 90% of his athletes get injured every year but in the 10% who are not injured there is a world champ? Or, one where 10% get injured but in the 90% remaining there are 3 top ten finishers?
Anyhow, does anyone know any data regarding injury rates in cyclists/triathletes compared to different training protocols?
I suspect if we are ever going to see this information it will only come about if the athletes demand to see it before signing up with a coach.
Comments?
Athletes when healthy always think they can push themselves harder. If they change coaches it may be for a coach who they think will push them harder than their current coach does. But, I have never seen a coach post any information regarding how many of their clients were injured in the previous year or what those injuries were. It seems to me that this would be useful information to have when comparing coaches. Which coach would you choose, one where 90% of his athletes get injured every year but in the 10% who are not injured there is a world champ? Or, one where 10% get injured but in the 90% remaining there are 3 top ten finishers?
Anyhow, does anyone know any data regarding injury rates in cyclists/triathletes compared to different training protocols?
I suspect if we are ever going to see this information it will only come about if the athletes demand to see it before signing up with a coach.
Comments?