Training Archives • Senior Triathletes

The Sweat Factor: Maximizing Performance in Triathlon Training

Terry VanderWert on April 20, 2024

Sweat is part of our body’s physiological response to heat from both internal and external sources often experienced in our triathlon training.

In this post, we’ll explore the reason we sweat, compare the benefits of sweating through exercise versus sauna use, look at differences between saunas and steam rooms, discuss strategies for maximizing the benefits of sweating during exercise, and examine the unique considerations for older athletes with sweating.

Whether you’re a seasoned triathlete or a novice competitor, understanding the role of sweating in training can help you reach your peak performance on race day.

Sweat: It’s Personal

Learning about sweating is near and dear to me because I sweat a lot during exercise.

The stares of those around me who notice the puddles of sweat on each side of my stationary bike toward the end of a cycling class still intimidate me. Having seen me sweat during an earlier class, one woman changed bikes after I began setting up one next to her. She admitted she did not want my sweat getting on her; I couldn’t blame her.

And, I will always remember the sloshing sound that came from me as a 30-something woman slapped me on the back during the Lake Lanier Triathlon in Georgia.

Still, people have often told me that my sweating is a “good thing”.

Why Do We Sweat?

Sweating is our body’s natural mechanism for cooling during physical exertion or exposure to heat.

As we engage in exercise or face high temperatures, the brain signals the sweat glands to produce sweat, which evaporates from the skin to dissipate heat and maintain a stable internal temperature. This process, known as thermoregulation, is crucial for preventing overheating and ensuring optimal athletic performance during training and competition.

However, according to research published in Biology of Sport, “if heat production exceeds the body’s ability to dissipate it, an athlete’s Tc [core body temperature] will increase, often resulting in a reduction in pace or power output”. Science has proven the relationship between the body’s ability to cool itself and athletic performance.

Which is better: Sweating with exercise or sauna?

Sweating can occur during exercise and while sitting in a sauna. Is one better than the other?

Both offer unique benefits for triathlon training, though they serve different purposes. Exercise-induced sweating not only helps regulate body temperature but also provides cardiovascular benefits, improves endurance, and strengthens muscles.

Saunas provide a passive means of inducing sweat by exposing the body to high temperatures, promoting relaxation, stress relief, and potential detoxification. Surprising me are the many research-based benefits to an athlete of sitting in a sauna after a workout.

This table includes a comparison of the most common types of saunas used by endurance athletes.

	Dry (also known as “Finnish sauna”)	Infrared	Steam
Temperature, typical	160°F to 200°F (70°C to 95°C)	120°F to 150°F (49°C to 66°C)	110°F to 120°F (43°C to 49°C)
Relative humidity	around 5%	5% to 20%	at or near 100%
Main applications for endurance athletes	-increase circulation -detoxify -increase heat tolerance	-faster recovery and reduced muscle soreness through deeper penetration of heat -increase circulation within the skin	-open up airways, loosen congestion, and alleviate symptoms of some respiratory conditions -hydrate the skin -promote physical and mental relaxation

The best sauna to support your triathlon training hinges on preference, training needs and goals, individual health considerations, and facilities you have available to you. Some athletes may prefer the intense heat and dry environment of a traditional dry sauna, while others may favor the gentle, penetrating heat of an infrared sauna or a moist, steamy environment that can be gentler on the respiratory system and may offer hydration benefits for the skin, especially important during cold, dry winters.

Regardless of the type of sauna used, incorporating sauna sessions into a triathlon training regimen can help athletes optimize performance, enhance recovery, and improve overall well-being.

Remember, consult with a healthcare professional before incorporating sauna sessions into your training routine, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions or concerns.

Make The Most of Sweat In Triathlon Training

To maximize the benefits of sweating during exercise, triathletes can employ various strategies:

Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise to replenish fluids lost through sweat and maintain optimal hydration. And while you are hydrating, consider your need for electrolytes.
Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, moisture-wicking clothing to help with sweat evaporation to cool your body during workouts.
Choose the right environment: Exercise in well-ventilated areas or outdoors during cooler times of the day to prevent overheating and allow you to sweat longer.
Listen to your body: Pay attention to signs of dehydration or overheating. Adjust intensity or duration as appropriate. Take breaks as needed to prevent heat-related injuries.

Age-Specific Risks And Benefits of Sweating

Aging can affect how older athletes experience and benefit from the sweat in their triathlon training.

Certain risks increase with age. Older athletes may have reduced thermoregulatory efficiency, increasing the risk of overheating and heat-related illnesses during training or competition. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances are also common concerns among older athletes, requiring careful attention to hydration and nutrition.

On the other hand, the benefits are significant. Despite age-related changes, regular exercise can help older athletes maintain cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and cognitive function. Sweating during exercise may also promote detoxification, improve mood, and enhance overall well-being in older adults.

Embrace The Sweat

Sweating is integral to triathlon training, facilitating thermoregulation, enhancing performance, and promoting overall health and well-being. By understanding the benefits of sweating, we can choose a course to help build strength and endurance and recover faster and more completely. The ideal approach may involve a combination of exercise and sauna induced sweating.

With a balanced approach to sweating in triathlon training, athletes of all ages can unlock their full potential and excel in their athletic pursuits.

What works for you?

Do you have a preference in the type of sauna you use? Why?

Comments: Please note that I review all comments before they are posted. You will be notified by email when your comment is approved. Even if you do not submit a comment, you may subscribe to be notified when a comment is published.

Should You Choose Your Triathlon Distance Based On Body Type?

Terry VanderWert on January 11, 2024

Does your body type make you better suited to compete at a particular triathlon distance? Are you better suited for sprint triathlons or for Ironman distance races?

I started wondering this after recently finishing a difficult training. This post summarizes what I learned while looking for an answer to this question.

In Search of the Ideal Triathlon Distance

Most of you know there are triathlons covering a wide range of distances – from super sprint to full Ironman 140.6. If you want to learn more, check out this post.

Over the past several years writing for SeniorTriathletes.com, I have spoken with many triathletes age 50 and over. Some have done sprint and Olympic distance races. Many have also done Ironman triathlons. Some have even done ultra-endurance events.

I recalled a conversation I had with a man, an Ironman triathlete, a spectator of my New Mexico triathlon. While waiting for the awards ceremony, he told me he preferred Ironman triathlons over sprint triathlons. He went further to tell me he disliked sprint triathlons, the reason he had not done this race.

Why? Because in a sprint triathlon, he felt pressure to push harder, that is, to literally sprint during the entire race.

Then, I remembered my conversation with Ironman Craig Cross. Craig believed his body was better suited for weightlifting than triathlon. Yet, he was doing Ironman triathlons.

I wondered if my body makeup made me better suited for sprint triathlons than the longer, endurance-based Ironman races. Or was my experience just a result of my training and the time I devoted to it?

Can Somatotyping Link Body Type and Ideal Triathlon Distance?

To answer this question, I turned to the internet. Here, I learned of somatotyping, a field of sports medicine and research involving characterization of body type. Somatotyping is also used to correlate body type to performance in various sports.

Interestingly, I found that many fitness trainers use somatotyping to tailor an individual’s training program to achieve a body type best suited for their particular sport.

Definitions

A few definitions will be helpful in following the information in this post and in your own research should you choose to go further into this topic.

Somatotypes – categories into which individual bodies are categorized according to their shape. A typical somatotype will include a ratio of each of the following three basic body types:

Ectomorph characterized by a long and lean frame with little body fat and little muscle (think, ‘super model’). With a lean build, this body type may have an advantage in swimming due to reduced drag in the water. A lean frame may also lead to better aerodynamics on the bike.

Mesomorph types have greater than average muscular development and, generally, a medium frame. Those with this type develop muscles easily and have more muscle than body fat. American football lineman are predominantly of this body type. They may also be excellent cyclists because of their ability to generate power.

Endomorph types have a higher percentage of body fat and less muscle mass. Endomorphs are often heavier and have rounder bodies. However, this does not mean they are obese, though they gain weight more easily. With proper training, those with this body type are able to compete in triathlon.

Anthropometry is the systematic study and characterization of human body measurements. As illustrated in this paper, anthropometry involves a complex set of measurements and calculations based on these measurements. The output is a score representing the proportion of each of the three body types – ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph – in an individual.

Body composition is a measure of the relative amounts of fat, bone, muscle, and water that make up one’s body. It is a more useful indicator of health than weight.

Body Type Affects Sports Performance

Sports medicine research has repeatedly documented that body type is an indicator, not guarantee, of performance in sports. For example, the body type of elite athletes varies between sports, as shown in this study comparing the body types of elite kayakers, football (soccer) players, and basketball players.

“Several studies have shown that body composition is related to higher performance in endurance sports, especially in sports where athletes must transport their body weight. Thus, for each kg of extra weight in the trunk, aerobic demand increases by 1%, and for each additional kg in the legs, aerobic demand increases by 10%.”

These studies have shown that a body type that reflects less weight based on fat mass leads to higher performance in sports that require endurance. This is especially true for sports that involve a lot of running. Less fat corresponds to higher VO_2max values.

A big body type that is ectomorphic or mesomorphic is going to be much better at sprinting as these traits make people much stronger.

Shorter runners with thin body types tend to make better long-distance runners than taller runners as long and large legs make it difficult to lift and propel a body forward. Shorter strides and less weight tend to lead to greater speeds over long distances.
What Is The Perfect Body Type For Running

What About Body Type and Triathlon Performance?

Results of a study published in the European Journal of Sports Science concluded that body type is a significant factor for male Ironman triathletes while not one for their female counterparts.

This study, based on competitors of Ironman Switzerland, concluded the ideal somatotype for male Ironman triathletes is 1.7-4.9-2.8 (ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph). Somatotype (body type) contributed to 28.6% of the variation in Ironman times.

“The endomorphy component was the most substantial predictor. Reductions in endomorphy by one standard deviation as well as an increased ectomorphy value by one standard deviation lead to significant and substantial improvement in Ironman performance (28.1 and 29.8 minutes, respectively).”

Similarily, an article titled “Physical and physiological factors associated with success in the triathlon” reported:

“Elite triathletes are generally tall, of average to light weight and have low levels of body fat, a physique which provides the advantages of large leverage and an optimal power to surface area or weight ratio.”

Other researchers have drawn similar conclusions from studies of body type and triathlon performance. In Changes in Triathletes’ Performance and Body Composition During a Specific Training Period for a Half-Ironman Race, the authors concluded from their review of prior research, “Body composition is also related to performance in endurance sports, including triathlons. An excess of body weight is especially disadvantageous in the run segment”.

The consensus appears to be that excess body fat correlates to lower VO_2max, which leads to lower performance in endurance races, like triathlons.

Performance is Not Just About Body Type

The authors of Kenyan and Ethiopian Distance Runners: What Makes Them so Good? help us see that athletic performance is more than just about genetics. Environmental factors such as diet, where we live (in this case, altitude), and culture (active from a young age) influenced the runner’s body type.

The study also highlighted psychological influences within a culture which have led to the dominance of this group in distance running.

You Can Change Your Body Type Through Training and Diet

The study involving Ironman Switzerland triathletes mentioned earlier also concluded:

“Athletes not having an ideal somatotype of 1.7-4.9-2.8 could improve their performance by altering their somatotype. Lower rates in endomorphy, as well as higher rates in ectomorphy, resulted in a significant better race performance.”

How does one change their body type? In part, through training and diet.

The National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM), which provides training and certification for personal trainers, nutrition coaches, and many other fitness-related disciplines, provides recommendations for training and diet based on body type.

While your genetics may predispose you to a general body type that works against being an elite triathlete, you can change your body composition and type to improve your performance.

Reducing weight by reducing body fat is the first place to start. Developing upper body muscles for swimming and lower body muscles for the bike and run will lead to further improvement.

Is There An Ideal Triathlon Distance For Your Body Type?

I encourage first-time triathletes to first do a sprint triathlon. If you are like me, you fall in love with this distance and continue with it. However, many others aspire to longer distance triathlons.

Barring physical limitations that prevent you from training for a desired distance, you can go after your goal. It’s a matter of priority, of commitment.

You might not be the highest performing triathlete in your age group. However, neither you nor I can use body type as an excuse for not going after a triathlon goal.

What Triathlon Distance Do You Prefer? Why?

Let us know in the Comments (below) your favorite triathlon or other endurance sport distance and why you prefer it.

Leveraging TriDot to Optimize Your Training at Any Age

Terry VanderWert on December 7, 2023

Kurt Madden a triathlete and triathlon coach over age 60, answers a readers question about senior specific training plans.

Editor’s Note

This post is a response to a reader’s request for information on triathlon training at age 65 compared to when he or she was 55. The reader wrote “The last of my 6 IM races was 10 years ago when I was 55. I’m able to train and race at 70.3 distance, but can’t seem to knock out a 12 – 14 hour training week anymore.”

Since the reader did not give his or her name, I was not able to clarify the request. However, I assume IM refers to IRONMAN 140.6. This is how I framed my request of Kurt Madden.

Terry VanderWert

by Kurt Madden, Head of Coach Development, TriDot

As we go through life, we often know that “experience is the best teacher.” Ideally, all of us will get better and find satisfaction and fulfillment by reaching our fitness goals too.

Before answering the specific request about training for an IRONMAN 140.6 race, I will answer two questions about the TriDot training system.

How does TriDot factor in age into training plans for IRONMAN races?
What type of options and/or plans and resources does TriDot provide that will meet the wide range, including age, of people in the sport, from beginner to mid-packer to elite?

About TriDot

The beauty and benefit of the TriDot training plan is the utilization of Normalized Training Stress (NTS). We are the only online training platform that offers this feature. NTS simply means that the system quantifies the amount of training stress, environmental conditions, and age for each training session.

For example, if TriDot prescribed a 50-minute run with intervals, it might give a 35-year-old beginner triathlete a warm-up of 10 minutes, drills and strides, and a main set of 3 x 6 minutes at Zone 4 with 1 minute of recovery between each repetition and a cool down. Conversely, for a 65-year-old beginner triathlete, the session might be 45 minutes, with a warm-up of 10 minutes, different drills, fewer strides, and a main set of 3 x 4 minute at Zone 3 with 2 minutes of recovery between each repetition and a cool down.

The differences are based off the NTS that gathers that information to create the workout rather than an athlete guessing or a coach guessing what type of session would be best for each athlete. Furthermore, the personalized workout is based on the data that continuously goes into the TriDot system. The system is continuously adjusting the duration and intensity depending upon data and your recovery. TriDot takes the guesswork out of what type of workout is best for the athlete through the NTS. This prevents injuries while optimizing their fitness.

Environmental Normalization

TriDot also utilizes our Environmental Normalization. This accounts for temperature, humidity, elevation, and terrain to assess the impact on an athlete’s performance. This is invaluable to help prescribe the best session for the athlete and also works in coordination with the NTS.

For example, the run workout just mentioned for a 65-year-old athlete would have different paces and different heart rate zones, due to the Enviromental Normalization and NTS that TriDot provides, if he were at home in Florida or on vacation in Boulder, Colorado. TriDot takes all the guesswork out of what training session is optimal for this athlete.

Experience With Older Athletes

As a TriDot coach, I find athletes who are in the 55 – 80 age range continue to have success with their training plans and IRONMAN races with fewer injuries. For example, I had three male athletes at the recent IRONMAN California event. Each one’s time improved by over an hour from their race the year before and all were training approximately 13 – 16 hours per week.

Additionally, an athlete that I have coached for six years with TriDot will turn 80 years old next year. He has qualified for both the IRONMAN World Championships in Kailua-Kona and the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in New Zealand. He trains an average of 10 – 12 hours per week without being injured. His times in all three disciplines are impressive. As his coach, I can also make adjustments to his training sessions when needed. I also work with him on nutrition, goal setting, recovery, and race execution.

Now, About IRONMAN Triathlon Training Hours Per Week At Age 65

Training for a full IRONMAN race on much less than 12 – 14 hours a week, such as 10 – 12 hours a week, is a little bit of a stretch. I suggest training 12 – 14 on most weeks, with every fourth week being a recovery or “unloading” week. A recovery or “unloading” week is when the volume of training and intensity of training is reduced. This gives the athlete’s body a chance to regenerate and recovery. When this occurs, typically an athlete will find they will be able to generate more power or train at a faster pace in all three disciplines.

Feel free to contact me by email or through the Comments below if you have other questions.

TriDot Resources

The other attraction with utilizing the TriDot platform is the various options we offer for all of our athletes. For the beginner, we have an Essentials option which provides the TriDot platform which is ideal for the beginner to intermediate or budget-conscious triathlete at $29.00 per month. The Complete option provides fully optimized training for the intermediate to competitive triathlete at $99.00 per month.

The next option is the Mark Allen Edition option. This includes fully optimized training for the intermediate to highly competitive triathlete. This option includes various videos and supplemental material from Mark Allen and is priced at $149.00 per month. The fourth option is Premium, which offers fully optimized training with your dedicated coach ranging in price from $249.00 – $399.00 per month.

Other resources that TriDot provides are weekly podcasts that are educational and entertaining. A few months ago, we downloaded our 1,000,000^th podcast. Access these free podcasts at https://tridot.com/podcast-index/.

If you have to choose one, please check out Episode 123: Aging Up: Getting Faster as You get Older, in which I am featured.

Moreover, TriDot’s Facebook page has close to 17,000 followers. This is a great community and forum for triathletes and coaches.

“Never Say You Are Too Old”

In summary, I encourage all of you to look further into the benefits of training and racing with TriDot. We are the only online platform that has the NTS and Environmental Normalization which makes adjustment for the age of the athlete as well as environmental conditions where the training or racing is taking place.

An added option is to include a coach. A coach will help you be accountable and will enhance your performance over someone just training on their own. Never say you are too old to achieve your goals and stay healthy. It is much better to say that you are “trusting the process” and getting “faster before going further” and that you have a coach.

About Kurt Madden

Learn more about Coach Kurt Madden at https://seniortriathletes.com/kurt-madden/

Leave Your Questions and Comments Below

Do you have questions about the TriDot training system for Coach Madden? Please leave it below.

Can I Do Triathlon With Afib?

Terry VanderWert on October 31, 2023

If you have been diagnosed with afib, is it worth training for multisport endurance competition, such as triathlon? This post, prompted by a reader diagnosed with afib, contains valuable advice from a cardiologist whose father is an ultramarathon runner.

Disclaimer

What is Afib?

Cardiologist Dr. Brian Saluck, Citrus Cardiology Consultants, P.A. describes atrial fibrillation (AF), or afib, as “a rapid heartbeat which is irregularly irregular. This means that the duration from beat to beat is different and the rhythm of the heart is not regular.”

He also noted three categories of AF:

Rapid AF, for which the heart rate is above 110 beats per minute (bpm).
Controlled AF for which the heart rate is between 60 and 110 bpm.
Slow afib for which the heart rate under 60 bpm.

The irregular-irregularity common to all types makes afib a condition to be taken seriously. According to StopAfib.org, “If you have non-valvular afib, you are nearly five times more likely than someone without the condition to have a stroke; if you have valvular afib, your risk is 17 times higher. In fact, about 15% or more of all strokes in the US are related to afib. You also have twice the risk of dementia, three times the risk of heart failure, and a 40 to 90 percent increased risk of death compared with people your age who don’t have afib.”

What Are Risk Factors For Afib?

Several factors contribute to the risk of stroke or heart failure in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). These include the patient’s history with diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, valve disease, and prior stroke or transient ischemic attack. Other factors include age, gender, and if the patient has sleep apnea.

Medical professionals often assign a number to each of the primary risk factors to arrive at a score called CHA2DS2-VASc. The risk score is used to define a treatment plan, including prescription of medications such as anti-coagulants.

Is endurance exercise a risk factor for producing an Afib event?

Is there such a thing as exercise-induced AF? “Yes, for some people, exercise can be a risk factor, ” according to Dr. Saluck.

“There is a thought that in athletes whose resting heart rate is too slow, exercise can induce an afib. A normal heartbeat, over 50 bpm, suppresses other irregular heart beats. However, if the sinus heart beat, that originating from the sinus node of the heart, is low, the irregular heartbeats can take over.”

Planning To Start Triathlon But Have Afib?

“The potential risk of exercising with AF is heart failure, ” stated Dr. Saluck. “As you demand more oxygen to the heart, the heart is not relaxing normally. When you are in afib, you lose the atrial kick that normally occurs when the top part of the heart, called the atrium, contracts during the peak filling of the ventricle. That extra little contraction improves the cardiac output by 15 to 20%.

“When you are not in a normal rhythm, that is in afib, you do not have the normal contraction of the sinus node. When the atrium does not contract, you lose the extra 15 to 20% efficiency. A person with afib can go into heart failure because of this.”

A person diagnosed with afib should check with their doctor before beginning triathlon training.

According to Dr. Saluck, “a patient with afib who is considering triathlon should have an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) and an echocardiogram, which is a sound wave picture of the heart. These will ensure that the structure of the heart is intact and that there are no valve problems with the heart which can cause the afib, such as a mitral valve regurgitation or aortic valve narrowing (stenosis), something older adults are more likely to exhibit.”

“A lot of times, afib is a marker for underlying ischemia or decreased blood flow to a heart artery. So, if the patient has risk factors in the family and has afib, I might want to do an exercise stress test by putting the patient on a treadmill to see how their endurance is and what their heart rhythm response is to exercise.”

“We also want to make sure their electrolyte levels are okay and check their thyroid to make sure it is not off.”

Depending on the patient, their initial results, and their history with endurance sports, including the distances and duration of the events, these tests may be repeated yearly or less frequently. “If everything with the initial tests is normal, the patient is probably good for five years.”

Managing Afib While Training For And Competing In Triathlon

Plenty of men and women diagnosed with AF take part in endurance sports, such as triathlon. Applying the advice of their primary physician or cardiologist means they can derive the benefits of exercise while minimizing the risks associated with the condition. Here is an approach for managing these risks.

Be Aware of Afib Related Signs and Triggers

While training or racing, listen to and look at your body for signs of AF. For example, are you feeling shortness of breath? Do you feel fatigued? Are legs becoming swollen? These could be warning signs of heart failure.

Not all the sports of triathlon may pose equal risk. A May 2023 publication in Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine reported an association between swimming and AF. In their paper titled AFLETES Study (Atrial Fibrillation in Veteran Athletes and the Risk of Stroke), authors Pallikadavath et. al. wrote, “This is the first study to demonstrate that swimming was associated with an increased risk of AF when compared with other sports and after adjusting for lifetime exercise dose.”

According to Dr. Saluck, this finding may be consistent with the ‘divers reflex’ phenomenon. The ‘divers reflex’, or mammalian diving reflex, is a common response of all mammals to entering cold water. One result is a drop in heart rate. This happens when, with swimming, a person first enters cold water. If the heart rate is already low, as is likely for trained athletes, the irregular heartbeats can take over.

While training, pay attention to your body and learn its response to the unique stress from each of the sports.

Monitor Heart Rate and Heart Rate Signature

According to ActiveCor, maker of KardiaMobile ECG sensor, “Pushing too hard is the number one reason why exercise may become unsafe for someone with atrial fibrillation.”

Technology for monitoring heart rate has been available for many years and is even more widely accessible today.

According to Dr. Saluck, pay attention to how rapidly your heart rate rises at the beginning of exercise and how quickly it comes down after exercise. Normally, heart rate should rise slowly over three to five minutes. Once exercise has ended, it should drop considerably over one to two minutes.

Recently, companies including Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, and Garmin have come out with wearable devices having an FDA cleared ECG (electrocardiogram) function. While not a watch or wearable device, ActiveCor’s KardiaMobile is a small sensor device that connects to your smartphone to record an ECG.  

Start Hydrated and Stay Hydrated

Hydration level is critical to heart function and a common thread in many of AF triggers. As we become dehydrated, our heart rate naturally increases. Dehydration also contributes to an imbalance in electrolytes, particularly magnesium and potassium.

There is also a high association between alcohol and AF, especially for those who drink more than mildly. In addition to weakening the heart muscle, alcohol is also a powerful diuretic, contributing to dehydration.

Restful Sleep

Sleep apnea not only affects the quality of sleep but can also increase AF events. “As we age, we lose muscle tone. This can extend to the muscles in the throat, increasing the risk of sleep apnea,” says Dr. Saluck.

Manage Anxiety

“Mental stress and anxiety definitely increase your risk for heart rhythm disturbances. Anxiety in particular can change the hormonal receptors of the heart.”

‘Broken heart syndrome‘ is a stress-related phenomenon which can also cause AF. Sudden acute but stressful events, such as loss of a loved one, being in a car accident, or dealing with financial problems may trigger ‘broken heart syndrome’.

Stress, whether physical, mental, or emotional, must be managed for us to perform at our peak athletically as well as to control AF.

Conclusion – Can I Do A Triathlon With Afib?

A diagnosis of AF does not automatically mean a person cannot begin or continue with multisport endurance activities like triathlon, duathlon, or aquabike. However, it is important to involve your doctor and/or a cardiologist in the initial and ongoing discussion.

Cardiologist Dr. Brian Saluck offers a few key recommendations. First, hydrate well before starting and then stay hydrated with electrolytes throughout the training session or race. He also recommends wearing a heart rate monitor to make sure their heart rate does not go too high outside its normal range. If your heart rate goes high or you don’t feel normal, take a break.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Dr. Brian Saluck, Citrus Cardiology Consultants, P.A. for contributing to and reviewing this post.

Share Your Questions and Comments Below

Do you have questions about doing triathlon with afib which were not answered? Did you find the information in this post useful? Let me know in the Comments below.