The Beginning of Success: Performance Trends and Cut-off Values for Junior and the U23 Triathlon Categories

Overview

Journal J Exerc Sci Fit

Date 2021 Dec 20

PMID 34925520

Citations 1

Authors

Lucas Pinheiro Barbosa

Caio Victor Sousa

Samuel da Silva Aguiar

Andre Bonadias Gadelha

Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis

Elias Villiger

Beat Knechtle

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: This study sought to determine cut-off values for each triathlon discipline to achieve podium in Junior (short distance; 750 m swim, 20 km cycle and 5 km run) and U23 (standard/Olympic distance; 1.5 km swim, 40 km cycle and 10 km run) triathlon events. Additionally, we aimed to investigate which discipline has the largest relationship with overall Junior and U23 triathlon performance, and the effect of sex and time in performance trends.

Methods: We included all data from Junior and U23 official races (International Triathlon Federation; ITU) of Junior (n = 3,314 finishes) and U23 (n = 5,092 finishes) categories held from 1999 to 2018.

Results: Men were significantly faster than women in both Junior (11.13%) and U23 (12.28%) categories. Swimming and cycling times were faster in 2009-2018 than in the 1999-2008 decade for men (3.36%; 6.49%), women junior (6.50%; 7.09%), men (0.15%; 3.46%) and women U23 (1.61%; 3.31%) respectively. Cycling was the discipline with the greatest influence on overall triathlon performance in Junior and U23 categories, regardless of sex or rank position. The cut-off values for the Junior category were (men/women): swimming, 9.2/9.4 min; cycling, 31.9/38.2 min; running, 16.8/18.9 min. U23's cut-off values were (men/women): swim, 18.0/19.4 min, cycling: 63.4/70.1 min; run, 33.9/38.7 min.

Conclusion: Cycling was the discipline with the greatest influence on overall performance for both men and women in Junior and U23 categories. Moreover, swimming and cycling performances increased over the years for both sexes.

Citing Articles

Pacing Behaviour Development and Acquisition: A Systematic Review.

Menting S, Edwards A, Hettinga F, Elferink-Gemser M Sports Med Open. 2022; 8(1):143.

PMID: 36484867 PMC: 9733766. DOI: 10.1186/s40798-022-00540-w.

References

Vleck V, Burgi A, Bentley D . The consequences of swim, cycle, and run performance on overall result in elite olympic distance triathlon. Int J Sports Med. 2006; 27(1):43-8. DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-837502. View

Hausswirth C, Lehenaff D . Physiological demands of running during long distance runs and triathlons. Sports Med. 2001; 31(9):679-89. DOI: 10.2165/00007256-200131090-00004. View

Le Meur Y, Thierry B, Rabita G, Dorel S, Honnorat G, Brisswalter J . Spring-mass behaviour during the run of an international triathlon competition. Int J Sports Med. 2013; 34(8):748-55. DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1331205. View

Piacentini M, Bianchini L, Minganti C, Sias M, Di Castro A, Vleck V . Is the Bike Segment of Modern Olympic Triathlon More a Transition towards Running in Males than It Is in Females?. Sports (Basel). 2019; 7(4). PMC: 6524369. DOI: 10.3390/sports7040076. View

Sousa C, Barbosa L, Sales M, Santos P, Tiozzo E, Simoes H . Cycling as the Best Sub-8-Hour Performance Predictor in Full Distance Triathlon. Sports (Basel). 2019; 7(1). PMC: 6359305. DOI: 10.3390/sports7010024. View

Millet G, Vleck V . Physiological and biomechanical adaptations to the cycle to run transition in Olympic triathlon: review and practical recommendations for training. Br J Sports Med. 2000; 34(5):384-90. PMC: 1756235. DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.34.5.384. View

Knechtle B, Wirth A, Baumann B, Knechtle P, Rosemann T, Oliver S . Differential correlations between anthropometry, training volume, and performance in male and female Ironman triathletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2010; 24(10):2785-93. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643b6. View

Sousa C, Aguiar S, Olher R, Cunha R, Nikolaidis P, Villiger E . What Is the Best Discipline to Predict Overall Triathlon Performance? An Analysis of Sprint, Olympic, Ironman 70.3, and Ironman 140.6. Front Physiol. 2021; 12:654552. PMC: 8131838. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.654552. View

Le Meur Y, Hausswirth C, Dorel S, Bignet F, Brisswalter J, Bernard T . Influence of gender on pacing adopted by elite triathletes during a competition. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2009; 106(4):535-45. DOI: 10.1007/s00421-009-1043-4. View

10.

Sleivert G, Rowlands D . Physical and physiological factors associated with success in the triathlon. Sports Med. 1996; 22(1):8-18. DOI: 10.2165/00007256-199622010-00002. View

11.

Millet G, Bentley D, Vleck V . The relationships between science and sport: application in triathlon. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2009; 2(3):315-22. DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2.3.315. View

12.

Hunter S . Sex differences in human fatigability: mechanisms and insight to physiological responses. Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2014; 210(4):768-89. PMC: 4111134. DOI: 10.1111/apha.12234. View

13.

Le Meur Y, Bernard T, Dorel S, Abbiss C, Honnorat G, Brisswalter J . Relationships between triathlon performance and pacing strategy during the run in an international competition. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2011; 6(2):183-94. DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.6.2.183. View

14.

Lepers R, Knechtle B, Stapley P . Trends in Triathlon Performance: Effects of Sex and Age. Sports Med. 2013; 43(9):851-63. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-013-0067-4. View

15.

Wu S, Peiffer J, Brisswalter J, Nosaka K, Lau W, Abbiss C . Pacing strategies during the swim, cycle and run disciplines of sprint, Olympic and half-Ironman triathlons. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2015; 115(5):1147-54. DOI: 10.1007/s00421-014-3096-2. View

16.

Vleck V, Bentley D, Millet G, Burgi A . Pacing during an elite Olympic distance triathlon: comparison between male and female competitors. J Sci Med Sport. 2007; 11(4):424-32. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2007.01.006. View

17.

Etter F, Knechtle B, Bukowski A, Rust C, Rosemann T, Lepers R . Age and gender interactions in short distance triathlon performance. J Sports Sci. 2013; 31(9):996-1006. DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2012.760747. View

18.

Knechtle B, de Sousa C, Simoes H, Rosemann T, Nikolaidis P . Effects of The Performance Level and Race Distance on Pacing in Ultra-Triathlons. J Hum Kinet. 2019; 67:247-258. PMC: 6714366. DOI: 10.2478/hukin-2018-0079. View

19.

Nikolaidis P, de Sousa C, Knechtle B . Sex difference in long-distance open-water swimming races - does nationality play a role?. Res Sports Med. 2018; 26(3):332-344. DOI: 10.1080/15438627.2018.1447471. View

20.

Barbosa L, Sousa C, Sales M, Olher R, Silva Aguiar S, Santos P . Celebrating 40 Years of Ironman: How the Champions Perform. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019; 16(6). PMC: 6466240. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16061019. View