Abstract
Triathlon is an aerobic sport, which is commonly measured by maximal aerobic consumption (VO2max). Objective: to analyze the changes produced in cardiorespiratory and physiological measurements during practice, which determine triathletes’ performance level. A systematic review and a meta-analysis based on PRISMA protocol and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020189076) was conducted. The research was performed using PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Embase, Dialnet, Web of Science (WOS) and MEDLINE databases during February and March 2020. Studies that measured cardiorespiratory variables in triathletes published in the last 10 years were included. Results: 713 articles were identified, with 25 studies selected for the systematic review and five articles for the meta-analysis. These articles concluded that the main cardiorespiratory variables that determine triathletes’ performance were modified depending on the triathlon segment performed and the athletes’ sex and age. The meta-analysis showed no conclusive results related to the effects of changes in VO2max in triathletes’ performance [SMD = −0.21; 95%CI: (−0.84 to 0.43)]. Conclusions: cardiorespiratory fitness, in terms of VO2max and ventilatory thresholds, is the strongest predictor of performance in triathlon. This response may be affected depending on the triathlon segment performed and the athlete’s age or sex, leading to both physiological and biomechanical alterations that affect competition performance.
Highlights
Triathlon is an aerobic sport, which is commonly measured by maximal aerobic consumption (VO2 max)
The bibliographical research was carried out using the Pubmed, SPORTDiscus, Embase, Dialnet, Web of Science (WOS), and MEDLINE databases, focusing on those articles that measured cardiorespiratory variables (VO2 max and ventilatory thresholds mainly) in order to determine the physiological changes produced in cardiorespiratory fitness of athletes who practice triathlon
Regarding the study design of the articles selected for the systematic review, nine reviews, one randomized controlled trial (RCT), 13 cohort studies and two cross-sectional studies were found
Summary
Triathlon is an aerobic sport, which is commonly measured by maximal aerobic consumption (VO2 max). Results: 713 articles were identified, with 25 studies selected for the systematic review and five articles for the meta-analysis These articles concluded that the main cardiorespiratory variables that determine triathletes’ performance were modified depending on the triathlon segment performed and the athletes’ sex and age. Conclusions: cardiorespiratory fitness, in terms of VO2 max and ventilatory thresholds, is the strongest predictor of performance in triathlon This response may be affected depending on the triathlon segment performed and the athlete’s age or sex, leading to both physiological and biomechanical alterations that affect competition performance. There are other parameters that evaluate athletes’ aerobic endurance, such as blood lactate concentration (LT), running economy (RE), and heart rate (HR) [5,6] These factors tend to be modified depending on age and sex, so these two variables should be considered [7,8]
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