HOW TO SPOT THE WARNING SIGNS OF INJURY & WHAT TO DO NEXT
A fundamental attribute of a great endurance athlete is the ability to endure ‘pain’. Whether you’re a runner, a cyclist or a triathlete, this ability to endure pain can be an endurance athlete’s greatest asset - and their biggest downfall.
To some extent, aches and pains are to be expected in training; therefore it can be hard to know when to ignore them, and when to act.
Here’s what to look out for when it comes to the warning signs of a potential future injury, and what to do to prevent the worst from happening…
pay attention to symptoms which appear and disappear quickly
Do you sometimes struggle to describe your pain or symptoms? This includes stiffness and tightness. If so, this difficulty can come from a subconscious fear of delving into pain and its potential implications.
The onset of pain may cause initial concern, but when it goes, often the worry goes too. Perhaps the following week it returns… this pattern may continue and remain below your threshold for action.
When training is going well, a race is incoming or you are finally building back from injury, a new or familiar symptom can be too much to face, leading you to push on and hope it disappears.
Fast forward several days, weeks or months, you have a sudden onset of symptoms that force you to take notice. Paying attention to symptoms early on can help you act and prevent anything bigger down the track.
low-level symptoms can still lead to injury
When you’re hit by an injury, you might think: How on earth could this have happened?! However, retrospectively the subtle signs were there. Those initial fleeting symptoms became a persistent and a familiar presence, yet not strong enough to cause you to act.
For some athletes, subtle and low-level symptoms become normalised - and without realising it, they start to limit aspects of training and performance.
You justify that ‘it warms up with exercise’ or ‘during the session it’s fine’ or ‘if I run slower, it’s not getting worse’.
Sound familiar? These are symptoms that need to be treated.
Act on persistent symptoms
Injury does not always come in dramatic packages but can be subtle, progressive and seemingly without pattern. However, if a symptom persists for more than a 2-3 days or number of sessions (even if spread out), take note and ACT.
This might be a minor training plan adjustment, even if you feel you are being over-cautious - a few training tweaks is better than being limited for months with a more chronic issue.
The wins are not made in individual sessions, but through consistency.
Alongside these training alterations, it’s important to ensure your recovery and energy needs are met and you continue working on your strengths and weaknesses with a periodised strength and conditioning program.
Ultimately this will increase your ability to meet the demands of your sport, however, these changes do not happen overnight - so in that short term, act rather than ignore.
warning signs of injury TO LOOK OUT FOR:
Symptoms of any type that don’t resolve in 2-3 days (symptoms can be tightness, pain, stiffness, aching etc)
Don’t ignore symptoms if they only appear outside of training sessions.
It doesn’t matter if they improve with stretching/massage/foam rolling – if they keep appearing, take note
how to prevent injury early:
Take note of the symptoms and delve a bit more into the patterns and sensation
Make small adjustments to training volume/intensity and measure response
If this does nothing, adjust a bit more or a different variable
Focus on global strengthening and not just the painful area
NB: This is not individualised injury advice, and if you are unsure about your specific injury, ask the advice of a health professional.
Having an in house Physiotherapist has been transformative to the service that we can provide our clients at SFE. Our S&C and Physio teams can work in synergy to ensure the client gets the best outcome possible.
We all know that injury is rarely a linear path with it’s natural ebb’s and flow’s, yet we are able to manage setbacks quickly and effectively, giving you the support, guidance and accountability that is needed.
To see how our multi-disciplinary team can support you on your journey, get in touch today.