Sport
Cross-country mountain biking is hard from start to finish, with hundreds of short surges on the climbs; downhill riding is about skill, grip and holding the attack position through every bump. In small trials, long hill intervals improved riders' race performance, and heavy trunk training made riders stronger and the bike steadier.
The injuries come from crashes, not overuse: going over the handlebars onto the shoulder, collarbone and wrist, and less often the head and spine. This guide covers what mountain biking asks of your body, the common injuries, helmets, pads and the racing rules, trail grades and getting help on the trail, British Cycling's concussion guidance, electric mountain bikes and the law, and the training that helps, with a strength workout and an interval workout, each with a 3D demo of every move.
About two-thirds of sudden mountain-biking injuries are to the arms and shoulders. Going over the handlebars is the commonest way to crash and the most serious, with more head and neck injuries than falling sideways, and in 534 filmed crashes, shoulder-girdle injuries were the commonest.
Cycling's world governing body requires a full-face helmet for downhill and enduro racing, and a rigid helmet in the races of almost every discipline. Across 40 studies of cyclists in general, helmets went with about half the odds of a head injury and a third of the odds of a serious one.
In a 7-day stage race, two-thirds of riders who'd had a concussion symptom kept riding, and in Enduro World Series racing, concussion was the commonest injury. British Cycling's rule is simple: if in doubt, sit them out, and no riding again that day.
In a trial in 16 riders, 6 weeks of either 4 to 6-minute hard efforts or 30-second sprints, 3 times a week, improved race performance, the long efforts a little more.
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In 24 young female riders, 8 weeks of heavy trunk training made their trunks stronger and their bikes sway less from side to side, though it didn't change how much oxygen they used.
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Most of 97 mountain-biking deaths in the Austrian Alps were from heart and other medical causes, mostly on the climb, in riders averaging 55; crashes caused most of the rest, mostly on descents.
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A 2007 review found cross-country races of about 2 hours ridden at close to 90% of maximum heart rate, with more than 80% of race time above the lactate threshold, the point where effort can't be held for long, because of the fast start, the climbs and the work of handling the bike. Races have since got shorter: in 12 elite riders over 119 races averaging 79 minutes, 30% of the time was above their maximal aerobic power, in 334 surges of about 4 seconds each. In 7 riders at race pace, the start averaged 481 watts for about a minute, a third of it anaerobic.
The Compendium of Physical Activities gives mountain biking 14.0 metabolic equivalents (METs) uphill at a vigorous effort and 16.0 when racing, both measured; its 8.5 METs for general mountain biking is an estimate.
In 19 experienced downhill riders, a run took about half of their peak oxygen uptake, though heart rate and effort felt higher, and grip strength fell by 5.4 kg after a run. In a downhill race, rider skill and grip endurance explained most of the differences in times. Riders in the British Downhill Series took repeated impacts to the head above 10 g on every run.
In 11 elite cross-country riders, aerobic fitness and resistance to fatigue in 30-second sprints explained almost all of the differences in national championship times. Competitive riders produced more power for their weight than recreational riders over 1 to 10 minutes, but not in short sprints. Bigger wheels made a lap faster at the same power, and full suspension cut vibration without changing lap times. These are associations.
In a pilot study of 33 riders, heart rate on an electric mountain bike (e-MTB) averaged 94% of that on a conventional ride, though riders felt they were working less. The Compendium gives e-bikes 6.8 METs without assistance, 6.0 with light assistance and 4.0 with high assistance.
Our cycling page explains that road cycling doesn't build bone. In one small study, cross-country mountain bikers had higher bone density than road cyclists and active men once body weight was taken into account, which the authors suggest may come from the extra stimulus of off-road riding. In 40 recreational men, back pain rose by the same amount after 3-hour rides on road and mountain bikes.
Aerobic fitness with hard surges for the climbs, a strong trunk and hips to hold the attack position and keep the bike steady, pulling strength and grip for descents, leg strength on each side, and mobility for the upper back and hips. Skills on the bike matter as much as any of it.
Each study counted injuries its own way (per hour, per ride, per visit or per season), so figures in different lines aren't comparable.
The numbers, by group:
In 84 patients in a year in rural England, broken collarbones (13%), shoulder injuries (12%) and broken wrists (11%) were the commonest injuries, and 23% needed an operation. At Royal Blackburn Hospital, 88.5% of 104 mountain-biking fractures were in the arms and 28.8% were of the collarbone, with complex shoulder injuries that are easy to miss. In 534 filmed crashes, 39.7% of injuries were to the shoulder girdle, and in Austrian bike parks, 33.7% were to the shoulder and collarbone. Our broken collarbone, AC joint and shoulder dislocation guides cover these.
Wrist and hand injuries were 23.2% of injuries in US youth racing, and 18% of injuries at a Fort William World Cup race, beside knees (20%) and shoulders (18%). Our broken wrist and scaphoid fracture guides cover these.
At the Whistler bike park in 2009, 11.2% of 898 injured riders had a brain injury and 42.5% a fracture. US emergency departments treated an estimated 18,952 mountain-biking head and neck injuries over 10 years, including broken noses, jaws and eye sockets. In 423 Central European riders, 5.7% had injured their teeth, and only 4.4% used mouthguards. In Colorado, trail riders had fewer head injuries than road cyclists (6% against 16%).
Among severely injured adult cyclists in southern Alberta, mountain bikers, hurt in jumps, tricks and falls, had more spinal injuries than street cyclists (65.3% against 41.1%). At a spinal referral centre in Canada, 107 mountain bikers had spinal injuries over 13 years, 73.8% in the neck and 40.2% with a spinal cord injury. A Canadian trauma centre saw about 4 spinal cord injuries a year from mountain biking, 93% in men. We don't have a guide to spinal cord injury; our back pain and spinal compression fracture guides cover the bones.
Concussion was the commonest diagnosis in Enduro World Series racing (7.4%), and 28.6% of concussed riders kept racing. In a 7-day stage race, 6.9% of 219 riders had had a diagnosed concussion in the past year, 67.5% of those with symptoms kept riding, and 29.2% had ridden with a broken helmet. Concussion was the commonest injury in US youth racing (23.6%).
Of 316 injured riders in Austrian bike parks, 35 were on e-MTBs: they were older (35 against 30), most often hurt their heads (21%, where riders of ordinary bikes most often hurt the collarbone and shoulder, 32%), and fewer had fractures (27% against 52%). In an Australian survey of 46 e-MTB crashes, riders' median age was 49, the commonest injuries were to the skin (42%), and 22% happened going uphill. Two small studies can't show that e-MTBs are safer or riskier.
In the Austrian Alps from 2006 to 2021, 97 mountain bikers died, all but one of them men, at an average age of 55.6: 54.6% from medical causes, mostly heart problems and 73.6% of them on the climb, and 41.2% from injuries, mostly on descents. Austrian mountain-bike accidents rose from 208 in 2006 to 725 in 2018.
About two-thirds of overuse injuries are to the legs. In mountain bikers with pain at the front of the knee, a combination of hip rotation, hip stability and ankle range went with the pain. Back pain rose with long rides on any bike. Our knee pain and back pain guides cover these, and our cycling page covers bike fit and numb hands.
Associations in the studies:
Arm injuries are commonest in young riders, with more head injuries in teenagers, and spinal fractures and spinal cord injuries are a concern. In US school racing, wrist and hand, head and shoulder injuries led.
No exercise programme has been tested on mountain-biking injuries, and a 2025 review found few studies of prevention at all. What decides outcomes is mostly helmets, speed and the trails you choose.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling's world governing body, in its 2026 regulations:
Across 40 studies of more than 64,000 injured cyclists, helmets went with about half the odds of a head injury, a third of the odds of a serious one and lower odds of facial and fatal head injuries, with no clear link to neck injuries. These are observational studies of cycling in general; no mountain-bike helmet study, and no comparison of full-face and open-face helmets on injuries, was found. A 2008 review found riders quick to take up safety measures, with helmets increasingly common.
The UCI makes each rider responsible for "using only an approved helmet that has not suffered any accident or shock". British Cycling warns that "Cracks in a helmet may not be visible from the outside", and a damaged helmet is a sign to look for concussion. In one stage race, 29.2% of riders had ridden with a broken helmet.
The UCI strongly recommends rigid back, elbow, knee and shoulder protectors and neck protection for downhill, but adds that apart from helmets there are no official technical standards for protective gear, so "it is not known at this time to what extent items that are sold as protective gear provide effective protection". Riders admitted to hospital from a bike park had used elbow or shoulder pads more often than those sent home, which probably reflects how they ride. A hospital study suggested body armour "may confer a protective effect" without testing it. Knee pads, gloves and glasses are sensible for trail riding; nobody knows how much they prevent.
Forestry England's grades, which British Cycling also uses (being replaced over time by a new system):
Riding faster than usual went with severe injuries in bike parks; over-the-bars crashes often followed poor jump landings at more than 30 km/h; 15% of bike park injuries happened on the first run of the day; and a review links going over the bars with rough trail surfaces, mechanical failures and loss of control. Our suggestions: ride one grade below your limit on a new trail, roll a feature before you jump it, take an easy first run, and check your brakes and tyres before you ride.
No trial of preventing overuse injuries in mountain bikers was found. Back pain seemed to depend more on the rider than the bike, front-of-knee pain went with the hips and ankles, and grip tires on descents. Our cycling page covers bike fit, which helps comfort, and our ulnar nerve and carpal tunnel guides cover numb hands.
Measures without good evidence in mountain biking:
In a trial, 16 trained mountain bikers added either long intervals (7 to 10 × 4 to 6 minutes "at the highest sustainable intensity", with 4 to 6 minutes of easy riding between) or sprint intervals (8 to 12 × 30 seconds all-out, with 4 minutes easy) to their training 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Race performance improved with both; once starting fitness was allowed for, the long intervals did better, and they were judged likely more beneficial. One small trial, so graded emerging; our interval workout uses its long intervals.
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In 18 young cross-country racers, a polarised model (mostly easy riding with some very hard sessions) and a mostly easy model gave similar small gains. In 20 trained riders over 8 weeks, polarised training raised aerobic capacity more than training in blocks. Over 9 weeks, a polarised week of 2 sprint-interval sessions, 1 session of 5 to 7 × 5-minute efforts and 2 long easy rides raised riders' anaerobic power. The studies are small and don't agree on one best model.
In a trial, 24 trained female mountain bikers aged 14 to 22 replaced their usual off-season strength training with 8 weeks of trunk training: three 30-minute sessions a week, after a 10-minute jog, of three sets of ten at 75% to 80% of their maximum, with 60 to 90 seconds of rest and loads raised every week, using dumbbells, barbells, machines and weighted pull-up-bar exercises. Against riders doing leg and upper-body strength work instead, their trunk muscles got stronger and their bikes swayed less from side to side on a race-course simulation; how much oxygen they used didn't change. Our cycling page reports it the same way.
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Downhill times went with rider skill and grip endurance, and grip strength fell after a run. No trial of grip training in riders was found; the grip work in our strength workout is our suggestion, built on the site's grip strength workout.
One elite cross-country rider did 7 days of daily hard intervals, then a 5-day taper between two races: his fitness measures dropped 3% to 7% after the hard week and were 3% to 7% above where they started by the fourth day of the taper. That's one rider. Across 27 studies of competitive athletes in other endurance sports, the best taper lasted about 2 weeks and cut training volume by 41% to 60% while keeping its intensity.
In a survey of 1,484 mountain bikers, riders reported many benefits to their mental health and wellbeing. It's what riders said, not a trial.
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Off-season: two strength sessions a week and one or two interval sessions, with easy rides between. In season: one strength session and one interval session, with skills rides on other days. Keep heavy leg sessions away from the day before a big ride (our suggestion).
Forestry England: "In an emergency, dial 999", and let the local forest centre know once you're safe. Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS), part of Scottish Cycling: "DIAL 999, ASK FOR POLICE, THEN ASK FOR MOUNTAIN RESCUE". The police will want your location (ideally a 6-figure grid reference or a named place), the number of casualties and their injuries, your group and kit, and everyone's mobile numbers. Our hiking page gives the same advice for the hills.
DMBinS's steps at a crash:
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Especially if you ride alone, tell someone your route and when you'll be back. DMBinS: "If you do not contact them within half hour of that time, they should start calling you", and if there's still no reply after an agreed time, they call the emergency services.
Forestry and Land Scotland lists a trail map, spares such as an inner tube, food and water, layers for the weather and "a simple first aid kit", and asks "can you repair a bike on the trail if you need to?". DMBinS recommends an outdoor first aid course if you ride regularly, because mountain rescue can take a while to reach you.
British Cycling published its first concussion guidance in March 2023, for its events and recreational rides; riders on the Great Britain team's performance pathway follow separate guidance. We read it through web archive captures, as the live site blocked automated reading.
Anyone with a suspected concussion stops riding at once and doesn't ride again that day. A rider whose helmet is visibly damaged should be removed for the rest of the day, and "If a rider does have a damaged helmet in an activity where a helmet is required, they must be withdrawn from the race regardless of whether they are displaying any other symptoms of concussion."
British Cycling's guidance follows the UK guidelines for grassroots sport:
British Cycling: "Wearing a helmet or mouth guard does not protect you from suffering a concussion." A helmet cuts the odds of a serious head injury; it doesn't make a knock safe to ride through.
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GOV.UK's rules for an electrically assisted pedal cycle:
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DMBinS: "If an e-bike has been modified, often referred to as 'chipped', and this has resulted in an increase in speed or an increase in the power output, access rights do not apply", and a rider stopped by the police would be charged with riding a moped or motorbike where motor vehicles aren't allowed. Access rules differ across the UK; check the land manager's rules where you ride.
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An e-MTB makes the climbs easier and the descents just as fast. Riders still worked at 94% of their usual heart rate in a pilot study, and the injury data come from two small studies. Start on green and blue trails, ride descents as you would on any mountain bike, and use less assistance for more exercise (our suggestions).
Built on the site's warm-up guide (editorial). No mountain-bike warm-up has been tested on injuries or performance; the doses come from the site's other workouts. The figure shows the hip hinge at the heart of the attack position.
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The movement on the figure: Hip-hinge practice
The strength workout's heavy trunk work, legs, pulling, pushing and grip, the interval workout's bike and the warm-up's hinge. Each has a 3D demo.
3D demoCable wood chopAdvanced · A cable machine
3D demoBack extension on a 45-degree benchIntermediate · A bench or box
3D demoHalf-kneeling Pallof pressBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoHanging knee raiseIntermediate · Pull-up bar
3D demoRear-foot-elevated split squat (Bulgarian split squat)Intermediate · A bench or box
3D demoDumbbell Romanian deadliftIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoPull-upAdvanced · Pull-up bar
3D demoPush-upIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoFarmer's carryBeginner · A dumbbell + A kettlebell
3D demoBar hangIntermediate · Pull-up bar + A step
3D demoHip-hinge practiceBeginner · No equipment
3D demoStationary cyclingBeginner · Cardio machineThe first two are new: a strength workout built on the trunk training trial, and the long intervals from the interval trial. The others add the cyclists' strength and mobility work, more intervals, hills, grip and wrists, the back, pulling and pushing, and recovery after a concussion.
A 50-minute gym session for mountain bikers: heavy wood chops, back extensions and Pallof presses, split squats, Romanian deadlifts, pull-ups and grip work.
50 minIntermediate13 movesCardio machine, A cable machineA 70-minute session for mountain bikers: a warm-up, seven 4-minute efforts at the hardest pace you can hold with 4 easy minutes between, and a cool-down.
70 minAdvanced1 movesCardio machineA 50-minute gym session for cyclists: heavy squats, one-leg presses, hip flexion and calf raises as in the cycling trials, plus jumps for bone.
50 minIntermediate13 movesCardio machine, A barbellA 15-minute routine for cyclists: hips, upper back, chest, neck and wrists through the ranges riding doesn't use, plus back and neck endurance.
15 minBeginner12 movesA foam roller, A wallThe Norwegian 4x4, a well-studied interval session for raising VO2 max: four 4-minute hard efforts with 3 easy minutes between, on a bike, rower or treadmill.
40 minIntermediate3 movesCardio machine, A wallA 25-minute interval session on a bike or rower: one-minute hard efforts with two minutes easy, building from 4 to 8 rounds.
25 minIntermediate1 movesCardio machineThree 4-minute blocks of 20 seconds hard and 10 seconds easy, with bodyweight moves and a minute between: the timing of the Tabata study, at home.
22 minIntermediate10 movesA wallStair or hill climbs with the walk down as recovery, then a loaded walk with your rucksack, building towards the hills, pack and days of your trip.
40 minBeginner5 movesA step, Something with weightA 20-minute grip session: warm up the wrists and fingers, train the hand and forearm muscles, then carry and hang to load your grip the way everyday life does.
20 minBeginner10 movesOther / check instructions, A bandWrist mobility and forearm strength for desk work, climbing, push-ups and handstands.
10 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A dumbbellThe McGill big three for the core: curl-ups, side planks and bird dogs, each held for 10 seconds at a time in falling sets of 5, 3 and 1 reps.
12 minBeginner3 movesNo equipmentA 12-minute routine for a stiff upper back and rounded shoulders: chin tucks, wall angels, Y-T-W raises and open books.
12 minBeginner8 movesA foam roller, A wallWork up to your first pull-up: dead hangs, scapular pulls, rows, negatives and assisted pull-ups.
25 minBeginner7 movesPull-up bar, A stepWork up to full push-ups: wall, incline and knee push-ups, then the floor push-up and harder variations.
15 minBeginner8 movesA wall, A bench or boxA 20-minute light session after a concussion: a symptom check, 10 to 15 minutes of easy cycling or walking, gentle bodyweight moves and a cool-down.
20 minBeginner8 movesCardio machine, A bench or boxTwo strength sessions a week off-season and one in season suit most riders; keep the heavy ones away from big ride days.
Two full-body strength sessions a week: the minimum that meets health guidelines, with every set, rep and rest, and an 8-week progression.
2 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekAn 8-week kettlebell plan for beginners: two strength sessions and a swing-interval day each week, with how to choose a bell and swing safely.
3 training days35 minBeginner3 days a weekFor after about 8 weeks of a beginner plan: three full-body sessions a week, one heavy, one moderate and one light, in a gym or at home, for 12 weeks.
3 training days50 minIntermediate3 days a weekA 3-day strength plan for men over 40 with power and bone work, two cardio days and mobility, built on research on ageing muscle.
3 training days45 minBeginnerThe PAR-Q+ (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone) asks about a heart condition or high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness or losing consciousness, other long-term conditions and their medicines, a bone or joint problem that activity could make worse, and being told to exercise only under supervision. If you answer yes to any, check with your doctor or a qualified exercise professional first. If you're over 45 and not used to hard exercise, ask a qualified exercise professional before the hardest sessions, and delay if you're ill.
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Most mountain-biking deaths in the Austrian Alps were from heart and other medical causes, mostly on the climb, in riders averaging 55. See your GP first, build up on easier trails, and remember an e-MTB on low assistance still counts as exercise.
Crashes break bones, and in US data, riders aged 40 or over had the most fractures and hospital stays. Ask your GP; green and blue trails without jumps are sensible (our suggestion). Our osteoporosis guide covers safe exercise.
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The NHS says most broken collarbones recover in 6 to 8 weeks, with no lifting or sport while you recover, and that it may take up to 16 weeks to fully return to some sports after a dislocated shoulder. Ask your doctor or physio when to ride again, and start on a static bike.
Concussion and wrist injuries lead youth racing injuries, and spinal injuries are a concern. A helmet every time, and coached sessions to learn the skills. Our guide to exercise for children covers the rest.
The NHS names mountain biking among sports to avoid in pregnancy, because of the risk of falling or bumping your tummy. Our pregnancy guide suggests a static bike instead; talk to your midwife.
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Our epilepsy guide explains that in the International League Against Epilepsy's grouping, cycling is a sport where a seizure could injure you but not others. Ride with others, and tell a "late back" person your route (our suggestion).
No training with a risk of a head knock until you've had no symptoms at rest for 14 days, and no racing before day 21. Our concussion guide covers each stage.
Our cycling page covers bike fit, and our ulnar nerve entrapment, carpal tunnel syndrome, knee pain and back pain guides cover what to do.
The NHS says to call 999 if someone has hit their head and:
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If in doubt, sit them out: off the bike for the day, not left alone for the first 24 hours, and assessed within 24 hours by a healthcare professional or NHS 111 (the National Health Service's urgent advice line). A damaged helmet is a warning sign. Don't drive yourself to A&E (accident and emergency) after a head injury.
Go to A&E if your shoulder has changed shape, swollen very quickly or has bone sticking out, you're bleeding heavily, or you have difficulty breathing, chest pain or are coughing up blood. Go to A&E if you can't move your arm or the shoulder looks out of place. Go to A&E or call 999 if an injured arm or wrist is numb or tingling, a bone is sticking out, or it's at an odd angle.
Call 999 or go to A&E for back pain with pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs, loss of feeling around the genitals or bottom, changes in your bladder or bowels, chest pain, or pain that started after a serious accident. After a neck injury, get urgent help for tingling or pins and needles on one or both sides, problems walking or sitting upright, a sudden "electric shock" feeling, or weak hands, arms or legs. Don't move someone with a suspected neck or back injury: call 999, set a cordon above them, and in the hills ask for the police, then mountain rescue.
Call 999 or go to A&E after a rib injury with breathlessness or chest pain that's getting worse, pain in your tummy or shoulder, or coughing up blood: a broken rib can damage the lungs, liver or spleen. In one series of injured riders, one needed a chest drain and another emergency surgery to remove a kidney.
Call 999 or go to A&E if the bleeding won't stop, the blood spurts and is bright red, you lose feeling near the wound, it's a bad cut on your face or palm, the wound is very large or deep, or something is stuck in it.
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Call 999 for chest pain that doesn't go away, spreads to the arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness, and for anyone who faints while exercising.
Call 999 for signs of heatstroke: still feeling unwell after 30 minutes of cooling down and drinking, a very high temperature, hot skin that isn't sweating, a fast heartbeat or breathing, confusion, a fit or losing consciousness.
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The UCI itself says it isn't known how well protective gear works, as there are no technical standards for it apart from helmets. Pads may still save skin and bruises (our reading); no study shows how much they prevent.
The UCI requires a helmet "that has not suffered any accident or shock", and British Cycling warns that cracks may not be visible from the outside. Replace it.
British Cycling: if in doubt, sit them out, and never back on the bike the same day. Most stage-race riders with concussion symptoms kept riding, which is exactly what the guidance is there to stop.
Elite Enduro racers were injured at 38.3 per 1,000 hours of racing, and sponsored riders had more concussions.
Heart rate on an e-MTB averaged 94% of a conventional ride in a pilot study, and the Compendium gives 4.0 to 6.8 METs depending on the assistance.
Back pain rose by the same amount after long rides on road and mountain bikes, and seemed to depend more on the rider than the bike. No study shows mountain biking causes lasting back problems.
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The trunk training trial was in cross-country riders, and our cycling page covers leg strength trials in cyclists.
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Road cycling doesn't, as our cycling page explains, but one small study found higher bone density in cross-country mountain bikers once body weight was allowed for. Jumping and strength training are still the reliable way to build bone.
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Heavy trunk work such as wood chops, back extensions and Pallof presses, single-leg leg strength, pull-ups and push-ups, and grip work such as farmer's carries. In a trial, 8 weeks of heavy trunk training made young female riders stronger and their bikes sway less, and grip endurance goes with faster downhill times. Our strength workout combines them.
In a trial of 16 riders, both long intervals (7 to 10 efforts of 4 to 6 minutes at the hardest pace they could hold, with 4 to 6 minutes easy) and sprints (8 to 12 × 30 seconds all-out) 3 times a week for 6 weeks improved race performance, the long ones a little more. Our interval workout uses the long version.
Shoulder, collarbone and wrist injuries, mostly from going over the handlebars, plus cuts and grazes. Head and spinal injuries are less common but cause most of the serious harm.
Not while it's healing. The NHS says most broken collarbones recover in 6 to 8 weeks and advises no lifting or sport while you recover. Ask your doctor or physio when to ride again, and start on a static bike.
Cycling's world governing body requires one for downhill and enduro racing, and it makes sense for bike parks and big features (our suggestion). No study has compared full-face and open-face helmets in trail riding, but helmets of any kind halve the odds of a head injury in cyclists.
Nobody knows how much: cycling's world governing body says there are no technical standards for protective gear apart from helmets, and that its effectiveness isn't known. Knee pads, gloves and glasses are sensible for trail riding.
If in doubt, sit them out: stop riding for the day, get assessed within 24 hours, and follow the graduated return, with no racing before day 21. Call 999 for any of the NHS warning signs, such as being knocked out, a fit or getting drowsier.
Yes. In a pilot study, heart rate on an e-MTB averaged 94% of a conventional ride, and the Compendium gives 4.0 to 6.8 METs depending on the assistance. Use less assistance for more exercise.
Forestry England's green trails are for beginners, blue for riders with basic off-road skills, red for proficient riders and black for experts, and orange bike parks say "Jumping ability obligatory". Ride within your grade, and roll features before you jump them.
The NHS names mountain biking among sports to avoid in pregnancy because of the risk of falling or bumping your tummy. A static bike is the usual alternative; talk to your midwife.
Exercise education for people who play sport, not a personal prescription or a diagnosis, and clinical review of these pages is pending. Check with a GP or physiotherapist before hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or an injury that isn't settling, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
