An injury profile of musculoskeletal injuries in mountain bikers in the eThekwini Municipality

Abstract

Background: Mountain biking is a sport that appeals to men and women who enjoy an adrenalin rush. It is practised on any terrain classified as ‘off-road’ such as gravel roads, sugar cane fields, farmland, mountainous areas, and forests. It involves riding over rough and tricky terrain with a mountain bike and has become a global phenomenon among many athletes of all fitness levels. The popularity of this sport has grown as it is well known for its health benefits, family participation, recreational enjoyment, its ability to enhance overall fitness, and the fact that it offers those who are driven opportunities to be highly competitive. However, as is the case with any competitive and recreational sport, mountain bikers are prone to suffering a unique set of injuries. Mountain bikers want to recover and get back on their bikes as soon as possible, but there is a paucity of literature on the injury profile of mountain bikers in South Africa, hence recovery strategies may not always have the desired results. Aim: The aim of this study was to establish the injury profile of the musculoskeletal injuries that mountain bikers sustain, with special focus on those enthusiasts in the eThekwini municipality of KwaZulu-Natal, while the risk factors associated with this sport were also explored. Methodology: Participants were recruited at cycling clubs, after training sessions when they gathered in coffee shops, and individually at mountain bike parks. Before completing the questionnaire, each participant was required to read a letter of information and sign an informed consent form. Informed consent and post-pilot study questionnaires were completed, gathered, and deposited into separate sealed boxes. Each questionnaire was given a code for statistical analysis before data were captured on a spreadsheet. Results: A total of 175 questionnaires were received and the data were statistically analysed. The results revealed that not applying any preventative measures when training for this sport was the main causative factor of injuries among mountain bikers in the eThekwini Municipality. The majority of the injuries occurred in white males between the ages of 45 to 50 years and in participants who practised this sport for more than 12 hours a week. The most common areas of the body that sustained injuries were shoulders, legs, knees, and wrists, while the most common types of injuries were bruises, cuts, and sprains. The predominant mechanisms that caused these injuries were falls and contact with stationary objects. Conclusion: The findings that emerged from the data were consistent with the literature on mountain biking, but it must be mentioned that the injuries that were described related to earlier studies that had been conducted among either international mountain bikers or road cyclists. The current study’s findings are distinctive of the eThekwini Municipal area in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Additional studies need to be conducted in other provinces of South Africa in order to create a more accurate injury profile associated with the mountain biking sport in this country.