World Athletics and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) have strengthened their collaboration in endurance medicine, aiming to improve the safety and well-being of elite athletes in both disciplines. The alliance between these two organizations focuses on common medical conditions such as exertional heat stroke, concussions, and proper nutrition for competition and training, with the goal of raising medical standards in both sports.
Last year, the medical departments of the UCI and World Triathlon joined the World Academy of Endurance Medicine, led by World Athletics. This partnership seeks to adopt and implement internationally recognized treatment standards across all competitions, ensuring consistent and high-quality medical care for athletes. Stephane Bermon, Director of World Athletics’ Health and Science Department, emphasized that this collaboration allows for the exchange of best practices, raising sports medicine standards to protect and enhance athlete performance.
EDUCATIONAL TOOLS
Among the joint projects between World Athletics and the UCI is the development of educational tools and learning modules on the treatment of concussions and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). These topics are of vital importance to both runners and cyclists, as they face similar risks during training and competition. Implementing these programs will be key to improving the diagnosis and monitoring of common injuries and conditions.
Additionally, both organizations are working on research into environmental factors that affect athlete performance, such as extreme heat and poor air quality. World Athletics has developed expertise in evaluating these factors, and together with the UCI, plans to use that knowledge to mitigate the environmental risks faced by road cyclists, especially in multi-stage races during the summer.
By consolidating their efforts and knowledge, World Athletics and the UCI aim to elevate sports medicine to a new level. This collaboration will not only ensure the health and safety of endurance athletes but also push the limits of athletic performance in increasingly challenging conditions.
