The study found the injury rate among male riders was markedly lower during races than during the two training runs riders are required to complete, with 3.6 injuries per 100 rides in training compared with 0.9 per 100 rides in racing.
Top-level female competitors in downhill mountain biking (DHMTB) are “significantly” more at risk of injury than their male counterparts, a study has found.
It also found females experienced a “significantly greater risk” of head injuries and concussions, with female riders being 9.5 times more likely to suffer head injuries than male riders, and 6.3 times more likely to suffer concussions.
Injury rates among female riders, on the other hand, remained far more consistent across the two, with 5.8 injuries per 100 rides in training runs, compared with 4.5 per 100 rides in racing.
The study also found female riders suffered more severe injuries than male riders – including being far more likely to suffer fractures, which carry the greatest “injury burden”.
