Descripción de la adaptación metabólica y cardiorrespiratoria de triatletas de distancia olímpica durante los sectores de natación y ciclisnno

The purpose of this study is typifying cardiorespiratory and metabolic adaptation capacity at race pace of high-level triathletes during simulations of Olympic distance triathlon swimming sector, cycling sector and first transition. Six national and international-level triathletes underwent a protocol consisting of a 1500 m swimming trial followed by a transition and one hour on ergocycle at race pace, with seriated determination of blood lactate concentration, gas exchange and car-dio-frequency recording. The average speed remarked in the swimming sector was 1.29 + 0.07 m s-1, matching 98 ± 2% of maximal aerobic speed (MAS). In the cycling sector, the average power was 264 ± 28 W, matching 77 ± 6% of maximal aerobic power (MAP). MAS was correlated with performance in swimming sector (r = 0.944; p < 0.05). Despite ingesting 1.08 ± 0.44 I of a solution with 8% of glucose, a significant loss of body weight (2.8%; p < 0.01) was remarked. Changes in pedaling power, speed and frequency, especially towards the end of the effort, were also remarked. Differences in lactate concentration and in cardiorespiratory or metabolic variables between the end of the swimming sector and the end of the first transition did not appear.Although triathlon is understood as a continuous effort, performance in each sector should be considered separately.This study remarks different relative intensities in cycling and swimming sectors.The remarked loss of body weight does not modify pedaling economy in national and international-level athletes during the cycling sector, where effort intensity adapts itself to the one found in individual lactate threshold. However, changes in competition tactics and other effects, such as drafting in swimming and cycling, could alter the intensities established in this study for each sector. We must still elucidate the effects of the remarked race pace on running performance.