Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37107731›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2023

'If in Doubt, Sit Them Out': How Long to Return to Elite Cycling Competition following a Sports-Related Concussion (SRC)?

Neil Heron, Nigel Jones, Christopher Cardwell, Clint Gomes

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Neil HeronCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT12 6BA, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4123-9806
Nigel JonesMedical Department, British Cycling, Manchester M11 4DQ, UK.
Christopher CardwellCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT12 6BA, UK.
Clint GomesMedical Department, British Cycling, Manchester M11 4DQ, UK.
British Cycling · GBQueen's University Belfast · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionA concussion or sports-related concussion (SRC) is a traumatic brain injury induced by biomechanical forces. After a SRC diagnosis is made, a concussed individual must undergo a period away from competition while they return to their baseline level of functioning. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) currently recommend a minimum of 6 days restriction from competitive cycling following a SRC but there is a growing feeling amongst those involved in brain injury research that this period is too short. Therefore, how much time should cyclists be removed from competitive sporting action following a SRC?

aimsTo review the time out of competition following the diagnosis of a SRC for elite cyclists within British Cycling (BC).

methodsAll medical records for elite cyclists within BC were audited for diagnoses of "concussion" or "sports-related concussions" from January 2017 until September 2022. The days out of competition following the concussion until ready to compete again (that is, returned to full training) was then calculated. All diagnoses and management of SRC were undertaken by the medical team at BC and in-keeping with current international guidelines.

resultsBetween January 2017 and September 2022, there were 88 concussions diagnosed, 54 being males and 8 in para-athletes. The median duration for time out of competition for all concussions was 16 days. There was no statistical difference between males (median 15.5 days) and females (median 17.5 days) for time out of competition (

conclusionsThis is the first study to report SRC concussion recovery times in elite cycling, including para-athletes. Between January 2017 and September 2022, there were 88 concussions diagnosed at BC and the median duration for time out of competition for all concussions was 16 days. There was no statistically significant difference in recovery times between male and females and para- and able-bodied athletes. This data should be used to help establish minimum withdrawal times post-SRC for elite cycling participation and we call on the UCI to review this data when establishing SRC protocols for cycling, with further research required in para-cyclists.

Indexed as

Athletic InjuriesBrain ConcussionSportsAthletesBicyclingFemaleHumansMaleconcussiondurationrecoveryreturn to competitionreturn to sportsports-related concussion (SRC)time

Identifiers

PMID37107731
PMCPMC10138273
OpenAlexW4363679303

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.