World Athletics and cycling’s governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), have partnered. Together, they will share scientific information on medical conditions such as exertional heat stroke, traumatic brain injuries (e.g., concussions), and nutrition for competition and training that are relevant to elite athletes in both sports.
Stephane Bermon, Director of the Health & Science Department at World Athletics, highlighted the importance of the collaboration.
“The partnership between the UCI and World Athletics in the context of the Academy is an invaluable opportunity to exchange best practices that are crucial to our sports,” said Bermon.
“Together, we are elevating the standard of sports medicine to ensure athletes’ safety and performance in even the most challenging conditions. This partnership will empower healthcare professionals to better protect and guide athletes, ultimately benefiting both the sports of cycling and athletics.”
In 2023, the UCI and World Triathlon medical departments officially joined the World Academy for Endurance Medicine, powered by World Athletics, to support healthcare professionals overseeing these sports. The goal is to ensure that internationally accepted treatment gold standards are adopted and implemented in all competitions.
A top priority for 2025 is the joint development of two e-learning modules on concussion management and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). Concussion injuries can have serious consequences and medical education is vital, to improve the diagnosis and monitoring of these brain injuries. RED-S, a condition caused by chronic under-fuelling that leads to multiple health problems and poor performance, is also common among distance and mountain runners, as well as cyclists.
World Athletics has also developed significant expertise in assessing and mitigating environmental stressors, such as extreme heat and poor air quality. These increasingly critical issues greatly impact the health and performance of both cyclists and runners. The UCI and World Athletics will soon pool their resources and knowledge to better understand the environmental challenges faced by professional road cyclists during summer stage races.
“Being able to draw on World Athletics’ experience in the hyperlocal and dynamic monitoring of environmental stressors is a great opportunity for road cycling and will likely help us to better understand and eventually mitigate these environmental risks,” said UCI Medical Director Professor Xavier Bigard.
By joining their expertise, both organisations aim to push the boundaries of sports medicine, ensuring that athletes across disciplines are better protected and supported, ultimately elevating endurance sports to a new level of health and safety.
