-up becomes a crucial factor in endurance events characterized by high physiological demands at the beginning of the race, such as in the Olympic distance triathlon. Triathlon Olympic competition is an endurance race where athletes perform 1500 m of swimming, 40 km of cycling, and 10 km of running
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Warm-Up in Triathlon: Do Triathletes Follow the Scientific Guidelines?
Claudio Quagliarotti, Simone Villanova, Alessio Marciano, Óscar López-Belmonte, Cristiano Caporali, Alessandro Bottoni, Romuald Lepers, and Maria Francesca Piacentini
The Effect of Glycerol Hyperhydration on Olympic Distance Triathlon Performance in High Ambient Temperatures
Aaron Coutts, Peter Reaburn, Kerry Mummery, and Mark Holmes
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of prior glycerol loading on competitive Olympic distance triathlon performance (ODT) in high ambient temperatures. Ten (3 female and 7 male) well-trained triathletes (VO2max = 58.4 ±2.4 ml-kg−1 min−1; best ODT time = 131.5 ± 2.6 min) completed 2 ODTs (1.5-km swim, 40-km bicycle, 10-km run) in a randomly assigned (placebo/ glycerol) double-blind study conducted 2 weeks apart. The wet-bulb globe temperature (outdoors) was 30.5 + 0.5 °C (relative humidity: 46.3 ± 1.1%; hot) and 25.4 + 0.2 °C (relative humidity: 51.7 ± 2.4%; warm) for day 1 and day 2, respectively. The glycerol solution consisted of 1.2 g of glycerol per kilogram of body mass (BM) and 25 ml of a 0.75 g · kg−1 BM carbohydrate solution (Gatorade®) and was consumed over a 60-min period, 2 hours prior to each ODT. Measures of performance (ODT time), fluid retention, urine output, blood plasma volume changes, and sweat loss were obtained prior to and during the ODT in both the glycerol and placebo conditions. Following glycerol loading, the increase in ODT completion time between the hot and warm conditions was significantly less than the placebo group (placebo 11:40 min vs. glycerol 1:47 min; p < .05). The majority of the performance improvement occurred during the final 10-km run leg of ODT on the hot day. Hyperhydration occurred as a consequence of a reduced diuresis (p < .05) and a subsequent increase in fluid retention (p < .05). No significant differences were observed in sweat loss between the glycerol and placebo conditions. Plasma volume expansion during the loading period was significantly greater (p < .05) on the hot day when glycerol appeared to attenuate the performance decrement in the heat. The present results suggest that glycerol hyperhydration prior to ODT in high ambient temperatures may provide some protection against the negative performance effects of competing in the heat.
Influence of Bicycle Seat Tube Angle and Hand Position on Lower Extremity Kinematics and Neuromuscular Control: Implications for Triathlon Running Performance
Amy Silder, Kyle Gleason, and Darryl G. Thelen
We investigated how varying seat tube angle (STA) and hand position affect muscle kinematics and activation patterns during cycling in order to better understand how triathlon-specific bike geometries might mitigate the biomechanical challenges associated with the bike-to-run transition. Whole body motion and lower extremity muscle activities were recorded from 14 triathletes during a series of cycling and treadmill running trials. A total of nine cycling trials were conducted in three hand positions (aero, drops, hoods) and at three STAs (73°, 76°, 79°). Participants also ran on a treadmill at 80, 90, and 100% of their 10-km triathlon race pace. Compared with cycling, running necessitated significantly longer peak musculotendon lengths from the uniarticular hip flexors, knee extensors, ankle plantar flexors and the biarticular hamstrings, rectus femoris, and gastrocnemius muscles. Running also involved significantly longer periods of active muscle lengthening from the quadriceps and ankle plantar flexors. During cycling, increasing the STA alone had no affect on muscle kinematics but did induce significantly greater rectus femoris activity during the upstroke of the crank cycle. Increasing hip extension by varying the hand position induced an increase in hamstring muscle activity, and moved the operating lengths of the uniarticular hip flexor and extensor muscles slightly closer to those seen during running. These combined changes in muscle kinematics and coordination could potentially contribute to the improved running performances that have been previously observed immediately after cycling on a triathlon-specific bicycle.
Running Your Best Triathlon Race
Naroa Etxebarria, Jackson Wright, Hamish Jeacocke, Cristian Mesquida, and David B. Pyne
Olympic-distance triathlon comprises a sequential 1.5-km swim, 40-km cycle, and 10-km run. Although the ability to perform the 3 disciplines at a high level is critical for competitive success, 1 , 2 it appears the run section is the main determinant in Olympic-distance triathlon. 2 – 4 The last
Effects of Competitive Triathlon Training on Telomere Length
Marcus Colon, Andrew Hodgson, Eimear Donlon, and James E.J. Murphy
around 4 years of biological age. While, Ludlow et al. ( 2008 ) and Savela et al. ( 2013 ) have indicated that the relationship is an inverted U curve where moderate-physical activity has beneficial effects on TL compared with both low- and high-intensity exercises. Triathlon is an endurance multisport
Longitudinal Performance Analysis in Ultra-Triathlon of the World’s 2 Best Master Triathletes
Caio Victor Sousa, Beat Knechtle, and Pantelis Theo Nikolaidis
It is well known that athletic performance declines with increasing age. 1 This has been shown for different sport disciplines such as swimming, 2 running, 1 and multisport events such as triathlon with the combination of swimming, cycling, and running. 3 – 5 The age-related performance decline
Sleep Duration Correlates With Performance in Ultra-Endurance Triathlon
Jacob N. Kisiolek, Kyle A. Smith, Daniel A. Baur, Brandon D. Willingham, Margaret C. Morrissey, Samantha M. Leyh, Patrick G. Saracino, Cheri D. Mah, and Michael J. Ormsbee
sleep time (TST) and race completion time during each stage of a 3-day ultra-endurance triathlon (stage 1: 10-km swim, 146-km cycle; stage 2: 276-km cycle; and stage 3: 84.4-km run). Additionally, the secondary purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationships between sleep quality (SOL
Caffeine Improves Triathlon Performance: A Field Study in Males and Females
Sunita Potgieter, Hattie H. Wright, and Carine Smith
supplementation to improve performance ( Bell et al., 1998 ; Bridge & Jones, 2006 ; Christensen et al., 2017 ; De Morree et al., 2014 ; Glaister et al., 2016 ; Meeusen et al., 2013 ; Stadheim et al., 2013 ). In terms of triathlon specifically, similar use of caffeine has been reported. An astounding 89% of
On the Road to Redemption: A Case Study of Triathlon Participation and Substance Use Recovery Stories
Kerry R. McGannon, Keira Towers, and Jenny McMahon
documentary films) spanning 18 years (i.e., 2003–2020). Crandell’s stories are significant to explore due to his publicly shared substance use recovery struggles, use of triathlon in his recovery process, and rise to prominence in his community ( Marshall, 2020 ). Research on Ironman triathlon (i.e., 3.8-km
Strength Training Improves Exercise Economy in Triathletes During a Simulated Triathlon
Kate M. Luckin-Baldwin, Claire E. Badenhorst, Ashley J. Cripps, Grant J. Landers, Robert J. Merrells, Max K. Bulsara, and Gerard F. Hoyne
Triathlon success is predominantly determined by the athletes’ maximum sustained power or pace during competition and the energy cost associated with maintaining this movement. 1 The energy cost associated with this sustained power or pace is known as the athletes’ economy, defined as the
