Edinburgh Napier University

  Limited information is available regarding the hand-arm vibration (HAV) exposure for professional off-road cyclists. Previous research has suggested that commuting and recreational cyclists are at risk of exceeding exposure limit values (ELV) in a single ride. Therefore, further investigation of HAV exposure in competitive mountain biking is warranted. Exposure data (A(8) (ms-2)) were obtained for national level mountain bike enduro competitions. Hand-arm vibration exposure was assessed using a tri-axial accelerometer recording at a frequency of 3.2 kHz mounted on the handlebars. Frequency weighting and band limiting filters were applied in accordance with BS EN ISO 5349-1. The data presented shows that HAV exposure during one day of competitive enduro mountain bike racing exceeds ELV (mean race exposure = 5.84 ms-2 , minimum = 5.47ms-2 , maximum = 6.61ms-2) and is greater than the HAV exposure observed in recreational cycling. This suggests that further work is required to determine exposure reduction associated with changes in equipment, technique and international racing events in professional athletes.