1.1 CEUs, 11 Contact Hours

Triathlon is a growing sport. As a multidimensional sport, triathletes need to be proficient in swimming, cycling, and running to be successful and injury-free. As the sport grows, so does the participation of female athletes and the number of competitions. This growth requires an increased number of qualified sports medicine team members to provide appropriate and efficient care along the management continuum and across the life span of the triathlete.

This home study course will cover from injury prevention to acute injury management through rehabilitation and performance enhancement for female triathletes. It will provide management strategies across the life span from adolescence through the master female triathlete including pregnant, post-partum and physically challenged triathletes. Triathlon training and competition offers a unique set of challenges for injury and illness management of its participants and for treating sports clinicians with the three components of this sport. This course’s aim is to equip each physical therapist with the tools to address the needs of these female athletes during participation in this sport throughout the athlete’s life span.

Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

1. Identify potential medical and musculoskeletal complications for the female triathlete across the lifespan including the youth, adolescent, pregnant, post-partum and master athlete.
2. Apply knowledge of acute injury management of the triathlete during training and competition.
3. Identify pregnancy and exercise guidelines specific to triathlon, including the recommendation of any equipment modifications specific to a pregnant and/or post-partum triathlete.
4. Identify the physical and physiological differences in the postpartum female athlete (compared to pre-pregnancy), effectively assess and determine any pre-pregnancy issues in postpartum female athletes and implement appropriate management of the postpartum female triathlete.
5. Analyze age-related changes in the female triathlete and discuss strategies for performance and injury prevention in the master female triathlete to allow the immediate clinical implementation of these concepts.
6. Discuss the needs of the triathlete with physical challenges with respect to classification and participation in triathlon. 
7. Implement strategies for the prevention and management of spinal dysfunction of the female triathlete. 
8. Develop and implement injury prevention and performance enhancement strategies for the female triathlete across the lifespan.