It's not usually one of the things that you think about whilst watching the Olympic velodrome cycling on TV but one of the factors that might have improved performances is 'state-of-the-art' advice on avoiding saddle sores, especially of the women (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/aug/15/team-gb-cycling-saddle-sore-medals). Saddle sores were apparently something that it was difficult to get the cyclists to talk about but advice was sought from friction experts, reconstructive surgeons specialising in pressure sores and a specialist in vulval health. The main advice they came up with was to a) get a rule change allowing saddles to be angled down to a greater degree, b) convince the competitors to avoid shaving, waxing and use of depilatory creams and c) apply a soothing gel. Apparently, pubic hair is beneficial in removing sweat. Amazing what you have to do to improve your chances of winning a medal.
No comments:
Post a Comment