THE INCIDENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES IN AN AMATEUR TRIATHLETE RACING CLUB

The sport of triathlon involves three different endurance sports: swim ming, biking, and running. Cross-training allows the athlete to train for one sport while resting from another. The repetitive motions requi red for each sport may lead to overuse and injury The purpose of this study was to examine musculoskeletal injury incidence in amateur triat hletes to determine ii these injuries caused lost time from training, racing, working, or daily functioning Seventy-two recipients responded to survey items that gathered information about demographics, sports participation, and musculoskeletal injury occurrence and interference with sports participation, work, and daily activities. Three-quarters sustained triathlon-related musculoskeletal injuries during training d ue to overuse. A majority experienced training interruption and interf erence with daily functioning and sought professional help for their i njuries, little information is available on the treatment of musculosk eletal injuries in triathletes. This survey raises important clinical implications for physical therapists. Further exploration of overuse i njury incidence is warranted in this population.