With the news of ISMF rule changes regarding skimo racing helmets (see my article here) I have been looking for more information about how well the helmets work against concussion.
Probably like most of you, I just assumed that they help to prevent concussions on top of preventing scalp fractures, which obviously could be very life threatening. But it turns out I was wrong and helmets don’t really prevent concussions. The truth is that current helmets (skimo, bike, climbing, etc) are not designed or tested for such ability or feature.
By no means, this is not to say wearing a helmet is useless but it is definitely useful to know that if you had concussions before then the best for you is to adjust your behaviour (be careful) rather than only rely on a ski or climbing helmet to protect you.
Why helmets don’t prevent concussions
Here, researcher and athlete David Camarillo explains the issues in detail.