Do athletes and coaches do what they know? A mixed-method survey on beliefs and attitudes on drafting in endurance sports

Drafting occurs when athletes follow closely behind another to reduce aerodynamic resistance, lowering their biomechanical, physiological, and psychobiological load. However, it is unclear how aware athletes and coaches are of this advantage and how it is applied in training and competition. The aim of this study was to investigate the beliefs and attitudes of athletes and coaches towards drafting. An online survey was conducted with athletes (N = 236) and coaches (N = 79) active in cycling, skating and running. They answered five items on a Likert scale and answered one open question (“what is needed for optimal drafting?”). Thematic analysis revealed six themes, emphasizing the complexity and interpersonal nature of the drafting skill. Overall, 91.3% of respondents agreed that drafting can improve sports performance (60.5% strongly agree), while only 1.7% strongly disagreed. Yet, few indicated that they regularly worked on improving their drafting skills in training (16.4%). There was a moderate correlation between awareness and training on drafting, for athletes (rs = 0.31, p < 0.001) and coaches (rs = 0.35, p < 0.05). The findings demonstrate that athletes and coaches are generally aware of the advantages of drafting and recognise it as an important, complex and multifaceted skill. Yet, paradoxically, only few see value in exploring and improving this skill during training. This study highlights a critical gap between theoretical understanding and practical application, revealing a missed opportunity in athlete development.