Physiotherapy Keeping Cyclists On Track

by Rebecca Lee 21.11.08

Whether it’s in the treatment room or by the side of the track, Physiotherapy is a vital cog in the rehabilitation as well as injury prevention of cyclists in every discipline.

Keeping athletes in peak condition in order to train and compete at optimum level requires a close working relationship between the physiotherapist, coach and athlete. eis2win.co.uk spoke to English Institute of Sport (EIS) Physiotherapist Phil Burt, who has worked with the cycling programme over the past two years and British Cycling Senior National Coach (Women’s Endurance) Dan Hunt, on the impact physiotherapy support can have in keeping athletes on their bikes.

“As a coach of any team or squad it is essential to have trust and belief in the physio treating the athletes” says British Cycling Coach Hunt. “Over the past two years, Phil Burt (EIS Physiotherapist) has demonstrated exceptional clinical knowledge and practice, enhanced by a fantastic nature which has made him an integral part of my support team” he added.

Burt, who previously worked with Sale Sharks Rugby Union team before joining the cycling support team, ensures athletes receive the right support for the discipline they compete in, as well as dealing within individual unique requirements to keep the athletes on the road and track.

“Each discipline poses unique challenges as a physiotherapist” explains Burt, who is based out of the EIS base at Sportcity, Manchester. “With the sprint track athletes, who train on the track and in the gym, preventing injuries from using weights is key whereas for endurance athletes, who spend hours on the road, more in-depth analysis on and off the bike is required for pre-habilitation/re-habilitation work” he adds.

Experiencing his first Olympic Games this year, Burt supported the squad at various training camps, World Cups, the Olympic holding camp as well as during the Games in Beijing this summer. 

“The Olympic Games were fantastic” says Burt, who is a keen cyclist himself. “But to be honest most of my input was over by the time we got to Beijing. It was a long hard slog beforehand but  that’s the way I prefer it- to have your athletes not requiring any physiotherapy at possibly the most important event of their sporting life is a good situation to be in. This required working closely as a team with coaches, athletes and other support staff to ensure athletes were in the best possible condition to compete” he added.

Under the spotlight at a major event like the Olympics, support staff behind the scenes are put to the test to ensure everything possible to keep athletes at their peak is done, which Coach Hunt recognises.

“During the Olympic Games, often under significant pressure and having worked many weeks of long days back to back with no time off, Phil (Burt) demonstrated a calm and pragmatic approach showing considerable initiative and flexibility to a variety of different problems.”

Beijing is certainly behind the British Cycling squad, with Nicole Cooke taking the World title on the road in Italy and the first World Cup on the track a storming success in Manchester, as the team look ahead to events paving the way to London 2012.

“The focus now will be on screening development athletes to ensure they conquer any existing issues as soon as possible and get all the squad in peak condition” says Burt. “In addition, we will be starting on bike analysis to assist in screening for and resolving rider problems associated with the bike-rider interaction.

“For those riders who travel a lot with competition, we developed the CIP (Conditioning and Injury Prevention) DVD. This means we can assess the rider, work out the areas they need to address, work on or maintain and send them away with an electronic or paper copy of a pre-habilitation programme and a DVD to remind them of their exercises. This means there is no time lost when riders are away” he adds. 

The seamless body of support through British Cycling coaches and staff, athletes and EIS support staff will endeavour to keep ahead of the game as the race towards 2012 continues.

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