To help reduce the high number of brain injuries among athletes, some professional sports have developed concussion prevention programs. Prevention programs aim to stop any further complications from a concussion, as further injury can cause significant brain damage or death.

An effective metric for weighing the success of a prevention program is to find out how easily it can identify athletes who have received concussions.

Professional cycling can provide a great example as to whether prevention programs work or fail. After a series of bicycle accidents led to concussions at events such as the Tour de France, new rules for identifying a concussion were put into place.

In other sports, such as football, hockey and baseball, sideline tests are administered to test cognitive functioning. The tests include having players recite words or numbers in a specific order after they are suspected of having a concussion.

How Does Concussion Testing Work in Professional Cycling?

Professional cycling takes the sideline testing process a step further by including baseline test results, meaning athletes are tested before they suffer a concussion. The baseline results are then compared to how a cyclist tests after being suspected of suffering a concussion.

Cyclists are asked to stand with both feet on the ground and eyes closed for 20 seconds, or told to list five words, and then repeat the same words two hours later. The medical professional performing the test would be able to catch a decrease in performance by comparing the post-concussion test results to the baseline test results.

By increasing the accuracy of testing methods, cyclists who have received concussions could be pulled aside and given prompt medical treatment, reducing the risk of further injury.

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Did You Know? According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, cycling is responsible for more concussions than any other sport.