Listen up, triathletes.

A stiff neck may be a telltale sign you're overdoing it. A healthier diet can be the answer to a cramp in your calf. And a blister on your foot might be begging for new shoes.

"Listening to your body is really important," said Diana Palmer, athletic trainer for USA Triathlon. "Some athletes try to train through it, but if they catch it early and listen to the fatigue, lack of ability to perform, joint and muscle aches, they can get healthy much more quickly."

Triathlons can place quite a bit of strain on a body, because they require extended effort under variable physical conditions. For example, fall's Ironman World Championship triathlon, held in Kona, on the Big Island, is legendary for its punishing demands.

Palmer and other physical therapists regularly provide advice to elite triathletes — amateurs and youths, for whom staying fit is a matter of moderation.

"We talk about life balance," said Palmer. "Is it something they're incorporating into their life, or is it something they're making their life?

"That's a big difference."

Palmer, who counseled competitors in the recent Hy-Vee Triathlon in Des Moines, Iowa, estimates 70 percent of the injuries she encounters could be prevented through better-fitting equipment, better nutritional and hydration practices, balanced training programs, adequate rest and thorough stretching.

"In terms of acute trauma — bike wrecks, accidents coming out of the water — we don't really see that many," said Palmer. "Instead, we see more (cases) where someone has been increasing their mileage, or didn't realize that if they're just starting to run, they shouldn't bike at the same time."

In preparation for the Hy-Vee Triathlon's 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike ride and 10K run, some athletes took cross-training to an extreme and landed in a doctor's office.

"We've been seeing more of that here lately," said Scott Meyer, a surgeon at Iowa Orthopedic Center in Des Moines.

A 1998 study reported in the International Journal of Sports Medicine found that elite male triathletes and those on developmental squads suffered from overuse injuries at the same rate, 75 percent over a five-year period.

Club-level triathletes had a rate of 56.3 percent.

All three groups are susceptible to swimmer's shoulder, a term used to describe sore rotator cuffs, runner's knee and Achilles tendinitis.

Other ailments are more prevalent at specific skill levels.

"With the national team athletes, I'm seeing two things," Palmer said. "They get upper hamstring, lower glute pain. Another common injury is right at the base of the neck, because of the way that they're on their bike and looking up, and how much they have to rotate their head during swimming."

Nutrition plays a significant role in the performance of less-experienced triathletes. "Where they're going to get hurt is that they didn't eat enough or drink enough fluid," Palmer said.

Matt Reed, the 2004 national champion, stresses diversifying your workout. "We're not swimming as much as a swimmer. We're not biking half of what a cyclist bikes, or a runner is running. So the chances of injuries in each sport is a little bit less," he said.

Using proper equipment also decreases the strain.

"You have to have the right gear," said Reed. "You have to change your shoes out every month. You've got to get fitted on the bike properly, make sure your position is good."

Stretching is another crucial step. Reed stretches before and after training.

"Most of all, you need to make sure and work on your recovery," he said. "Stretching or massage, it all helps."