Strategies for improving performance during long duration Olympic events : the example of Olympic distance Triathlon

Christophe Hausswirth (1) , Jeanick Brisswalter (2)

1 INSEP - Institut national du sport, de l'expertise et de la performance
2 UTLN - Université de Toulon

This review focuses on strategic aspects which may affect performance during a long duration Olympic event: the Olympic distance Triathlon. Given the variety of races during Olympic games, Strategic aspects include as well improving technological features as energetical factors affecting the overall triathlon performance.. During the last decade, a lot of studies have attempted to identify factors reducing the metabolic load associated or not with the development of fatigue process by analysing the relationship between metabolic and biomechanical factors with exercise duration. To date, an actual consensus exists about the benefit to adopt a drafting position during the swimming or the cycling part of the triathlon. Other potential strategic factors such as the production of power output or the selection of cadence during the cycle leg or the running part are likely to affect the overall triathlon performance. Within this approach, pacing strategies are observed elite athletes who swim or cycle in a sheltered position inducing several changes of pace, intensity or stochastic shifts in the amplitude of the physiological responses. The analysis of these parameters appears to arouse some experimental and practical interests from researchers and coachers especially for long distance Olympic events.

Mots clés: pacing strategy; cadence; triathlon performance; drafting; physiological and biomechanical responses

Domaines: Physiologie du sport; Disciplines sportives

Christophe Hausswirth, Jeanick Brisswalter. Strategies for improving performance during long duration Olympic events : the example of Olympic distance Triathlon. Sports Medicine, 2008, 38 (11), pp.881-891. ⟨10.2165/00007256-200838110-00001⟩. ⟨hal-01726053⟩