{"id":61840,"date":"2024-04-01T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-01T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/960ccb46-671d-40e4-86b6-4b370b6db557"},"modified":"2024-04-01T14:59:42","modified_gmt":"2024-04-01T12:59:42","slug":"womens-health-and-cycling-common-injuries-hormonal-changes-and-nutritional-needs-explained","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/womens-health-and-cycling-common-injuries-hormonal-changes-and-nutritional-needs-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Women’s health and cycling: common injuries, hormonal changes and nutritional needs explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Study finds women-specific injuries and concerns for female cyclists, including hip pain and Low Energy Availability <\/p>

By Anna Gardiner\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 01 April 2024 at 11:00 AM<\/p>

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It\u2019s uncommon for sports studies to focus exclusively on women.\u00a0They’re not always the target audience for sport-related participation and therefore the buying power that makes studies financially viable.\u00a0<\/p>

Cycling research has tended to focus on male-identifying cyclists and to make anatomical assumptions about women participants.\u00a0There’s also little information available on how women can tailor their training.<\/a><\/p>

However, a study from 2023 took a refreshing look at women\u2019s cycling injuries and health concerns. Training and Injury Considerations in Female Identifying Cyclists<\/a>, published in the Journal of Women\u2019s Sports Medicine<\/em>, considers the physical concerns many women may struggle with or that may contribute to injury and reduced performance.\u00a0<\/p>

In this article, we explore the injuries and concerns identified by the study and offer guidance on overcoming them.\u00a0<\/p>

Women\u2019s cycling injuries\u00a0and health concerns<\/h2>

Cycling injuries can be affected by numerous factors. These include the type of riding you do, how often you cycle, and anatomical and physiological differences.\u00a0<\/p>

Many common cycling injuries<\/a> that affect all genders can be resolved through a good bike fit<\/a> and this is often the first line of defence in injury prevention.\u00a0<\/p>

Training overload accounts for most injuries and niggles. It’s worth keeping a training diary or using a cycling app<\/a> such as Strava to visualise the peaks and troughs in your riding.<\/p>

Knee and hip issues\u00a0<\/h3>
Women can be more prone to pain around the kneecap, such as patellofemoral pain syndrome. – VectorMine \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The causes of knee pain<\/a> and hip pain vary greatly. However, Training and Injury Considerations in Female Identifying Cyclists<\/em> observed that, compared to men, women have increased pelvis rotation, hip adduction and internal rotation, and mediolateral knee motion. This can mean women are more prone to pain around the kneecap, such as patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), when cycling.\u00a0<\/p>

Female hips differ in shape and structure from men’s, but often bike widths are standardised to men, leading to hip pain<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>

Women’s ligaments can be affected by varying hormone levels too. There can be a certain laxity or weakness in the ligaments surrounding joints, such as the pelvis. This results in the joints not being fully supported and vulnerable to injury.<\/p>

Solutions to knee and hip issues<\/h4>
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Cleat position can lead to knee or hip pain. – Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

A bike fit should identify any causes of knee or hip pain related to your position on the bike or its setup. For example, a poor cleat position<\/a> alters biomechanics, which can be a cause of pain in the knee or hip.<\/p>

But beyond bike fits and setup, women need a robust strengthening routine<\/a> to protect against weakness around joints and hips.<\/p>

A bike fit can target where strengthening will have the most gains. But as general advice, the muscle groups to strengthen are:<\/p>