Specific Aspects of Contemporary Triathlon
Physiological determinants & analysis
Key Findings (abstract)
Race formats differ: standard distance = 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run. Elite (World Cup / World Championship) races allow drafting on the bike; age-group athletes compete in 5-year categories and ride the cycle stage as an individual time trial — so the physiological demands of the bike leg, and its effect on the run, differ between formats
Swim: wetsuit use improves buoyancy and drafting reduces frontal resistance — both improve performance and efficiency relative to normal pool swimming
Swim → bike: overall cycling performance after swimming is typically not affected, but the ability to generate the high power outputs needed for tactical position changes early in the bike leg may be impaired
Bike → run: drafting lowers frontal resistance and the energy cost at a given submaximal intensity; the energy saved on the bike improves the subsequent run — the athlete can run at a higher percentage of VO2max
Elite cycle courses impose specific demands (different fatigue responses than a standard time-trial course); different physical characteristics may suit some athletes to flat vs undulating courses
Running after cycling may be influenced by pedalling frequency and by the physiological demands of the cycle stage
The authors' point: the technical features of elite vs age-group racing, and the demands of longer events, should shape experimental design, training practice and performance diagnosis
Practical Application
Review of triathlon-specific physiology: drafting on the bike (elite format) cuts energy cost and lets the athlete run at a higher %VO2max afterwards; wetsuit and swim drafting improve efficiency; cycling after swimming is usually unaffected except for early high-power surges. For an age-group masters athlete the bike is a time trial — pace it as one, and rehearse running off a hard, non-drafted bike
Practise the swim → bike transition with early surges (the abstract flags reduced high-power ability early in the bike leg); practise the bike → run transition at your race cadence, since pedalling frequency influences the subsequent run
Non-drafting (age-group) racing: the "run off a saved bike" advantage the elites get does not exist for you; your run is paid for by bike pacing. Inference, not tested
Train all three disciplines specifically; which leg to prioritise depends on format and course. Not from this paper; the base's own practice: find the "weak link" leg by time lost relative to peers and prioritise it
Limitations
2002 narrative review; drafting rules and equipment have since changed
Focus on standard (olympic) distance; long-course has different determinants (durability, see §36)
No numbers beyond the race distances in the abstract
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level
regraded 2026-09-27 from A: narrative review without systematic method (leading triathlon-physiology group)
Content correction 2026-09-27
"Running often decides the outcome in drafting-legal races", "aerobic power and threshold are baseline determinants in all three disciplines", "the economy of each discipline is partly independent" -> not in the abstract; removed
Added the abstract's actual content: elite vs age-group formats, wetsuit/drafting effects, swim → bike and bike → run interactions, pedalling frequency, course profile
Level A -> B+ (narrative review); Sport line adds cycling