The Attraction of the Triathlon
For anyone who has never competed in a triathlon, you may be wondering why someone would put themselves through the rigors and limit-pushing cardiovascular exercise involved. Swimming, biking, running – all in one day, all by one endurance athlete.
The most common reason an endurance athlete gives for their obsession with triathlon competition is personal satisfaction. Sure, there’s the endorphin rush. There’s also the excitement of competing against other athletes, some of who are viewed as the best in the world. But when it comes down to it, racing across that finish line is its own reward.
Triathlons are popular due to the variety of races that abound, too. Various events focus on longer distances for swimming versus running and bicycling, or vice versa. Some of them, like the super sprint or Olympic, start with the lengthiest leg of the course then taper down to a shorter run. Ironman and half Ironman courses include long bicycling legs.
Not only does training for triathlon competition get your body into fantastic shape, it has a positive psychological effect. It encourages sustained motivation, self-esteem, and following through to reach goals.
Training for a triathlon cannot be taken lightly. Most endurance athletes train six days a week, every week, no matter the weather or mood. Because triathlons require exceptional skills in all sports, the focus is not on one particular type of exercise, but many that strengthen muscles, increase endurance, and dissolve body fat. Of course, the triathlete must also spend time in the swimming pool, on the bike, and covering distance on foot.
Professional endurance athletes know that diet and gradual tapering off periods of training are necessary to achieve optimum performance. It is always beneficial to watch recorded video of the race and identify areas of opportunity, too. Drug free supplements like Extreme Endurance are a necessity in order to combat the body’s increased acid, muscle trauma, oxidative stress, inflammation, and immune system suppression. There’s a lot involved in getting ready to compete against the best in the sport.
No matter what type of triathlon event you compete in, it all comes down to those last final seconds when the finish line is in sight and you know you’ve accomplished what the majority of people cannot.
The Role of Carbs in Endurance Sports
While the majority of people are consistently being warned about the dangers of eating too many carbohydrates and the negative effect on a spreading waistline, endurance athletes are a different breed.
Carbs fuel the body’s muscles. They are a vital part of an athlete’s diet, no matter if he or she specializes in weightlifting, strength training, or marathon running. The key to making carbohydrates work with your performance goals instead of against them is choosing the right foods and the right time to ingest them.
Everyone is undoubtedly aware that there are good carbs, and there are bad carbs. Endurance athletes can’t choose donuts and potato chips before a competition and expect to perform optimally. Grains, rice, and pasta starches along with beans and fruits provide the best form of fuel for the body. But even yogurt, soy products, and milk contain some carbs.
After digestion these carbohydrates are turned into glucose and enter the bloodstream. The liver and muscles store any glucose not immediately needed, turning it into glycogen. Obviously this is important for an endurance athlete to maintain long-term performance levels during a sport. Without sufficient glycogen levels, a competitor is bound to lose dexterity, precision, and hand-eye coordination essential to optimal functioning. The longer an event, the higher the number of carbohydrates that must be consumed.
Timing is a critical component. Of course, eating a high number of carbs right before competing is never a good idea. Instead, a nutrient-rich meal needs the proper time to digest and provide the muscles with necessary glycogen throughout the event. This means that three to four hours prior to competition is best for a large meal, followed by a carb-rich snack in the hour or two preceding the event’s start.
After competition performance, an energy drink that provides protein and carbohydrates will help the body recover quickly. Wait for a half hour but no longer than 60 minutes after exertion to best refuel glycogen starved organs.
The proper diet in conjunction with Extreme Endurance drug free supplements will result in optimum performance levels by buffering acid. Don’t forget to add the appropriate amount of carbohydrates to your training day meals.
Tapering Off Training Levels Prior to Competition
The most successful endurance athletes use the concept of tapering to increase their performance levels during competition and there is scientific research to back this up. Various studies 
performed during the 1990s show that a gradual reduction in intensity, duration, and frequency in the weeks immediately preceding a competitive event has a very beneficial effect on performance.
Obviously it is necessary to intensely train in order to reach the top levels of any endurance sporting event. But take a cue from endurance athletes who have learned the hard way that a period of recovery is necessary for muscles and aerobic capacity to perform optimally; tapering is a vital part of the competitive athlete’s training routine. The key is reducing volume and frequency while maintaining or even increasing intensity.
A gradual decrease in volume is recommended for two weeks until a final lessening of zero is achieved in the two days prior to competition. Any more than 14 days and there is a negative effect on performance.
Intensity of training should increase slightly to make up for the volume decrease. This has found to be more beneficial than training in both low volume and low intensity during the taper period.
Finally, the frequency of training sessions should be reduced to approximately 30% of the previous levels and no less. The athlete’s body needs to feel and “remember” the activity it is being trained to perform.
Using the results of prior research, it is estimated that a 3% improvement in performance can be expected when using these guidelines to taper training before competition. According to the Fitness Black Book an “interval group doubled their endurance capacity” in two weeks with interval training.
Used in conjunction with a dietary, drug free supplement such as Extreme Endurance, this presents an opportunity to perform at the body’s optimum capacity.
Even Endurance Athletes Count Calories
Most people conceptualize endurance athletes as being a part of the general population that has no need to restrict their caloric intake. After all, they reason, these elite runners, swimmers, and 
cyclists burn through calories to the point where they need excesses of the normal RDA to fuel their bodies.
The reality is far different from this common misconception. According to a study of endurance athletes performed in 2009 and published by The Annals of Behavioral Medicine, a whopping 74% of them reported that they were “concerned” about their weight while 54% claimed to be “dissatisfied”.
While these results may be surprising to the average person, endurance athletes know that excess weight and body fat are the enemies when it comes to performance. In fact, aerobic capacity is at its optimum only when the body carries the lowest percentage of fat. This is due to muscles experiencing decreased competition from fat tissue for the precious fuel and oxygen supplied during extreme activity levels. Even an added five percent of overall body weight makes a difference; it can result in a correlating five percent decrease in performance. The more pounds a runner carries, for instance, the harder he or she must work to achieve the same speed as others of lower weight.
This does not mean that an endurance athlete should go on a diet; rather they should think about their caloric intake differently. A diet of lean proteins in low percentage, grains, fruits, and vegetables is vital for providing the body with necessary fuel while decreasing the amount of fat. As ETF Wellness Corp. states in their blog Pre and Post Workout Nutrition, “endurance athletes…whose primary concerns do not include increasing muscle mass” should be more concerned with protein ratio.
This is where the Extreme Endurance dietary supplement comes into play. By providing natural ingredients that help to prevent the buildup of acid during extreme activity, it works with a lean, mean body to increase performance. So just as food is fuel for the body, this drug free supplement is a fuel additive that helps diet work optimally.
The Difference Between Anaerobic and Aerobic Thresholds
Professional athletes have surely heard the terms of both anaerobic threshold and aerobic threshold. Still, many people use these terms incorrectly or interchangeably. There are definitely 
key differences between the two terms.
What is Aerobic Threshold Performance?
Anaerobic activity is of an intensity that triggers anaerobic metabolism. This is the type of exercise preferred by body builders and other competitors in order to build muscle mass along with strength, power, and speed for a short duration. The focus is on involving fast twitch muscle fibers that change the composition of body mass. It involves both the high energy use of phosphates, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate (CP) as well as the type of energy allowing anaerobic glycolysis to occur. Obviously in athletic competitions that revolve around short bursts of energy, anaerobic metabolism is the goal.
Aerobic threshold performance refers to a level that falls just beneath that of anaerobic. This term is used to refer to the ability of the endurance athlete to conserve energy so that it lasts throughout the duration of competition. This can be done using drug free supplements. Anaerobic energy is expended when intensity approaches that to invoke anaerobic energy pathways and blood lactates becomes highly concentrated. The heart rate at aerobic threshold is less than that of anaerobic threshold, or roughly 65% of maximum.
Lactic acid production is detrimental to muscle function. One way that Extreme Endurance drug free supplement works as a successful supplement is by decreasing the production of lactic acid up to 15%, giving the endurance athlete the extra strength and stamina needed to complete a race.
Extreme Endurance is a drug free supplement that can be used by any athlete to counteract a low anaerobic or aerobic threshold.
Taking the Heat in Competition
- At November 3, 2009
- By admin
- In Competition Tips, Ironman Triathlons
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professional endurance athletes Ironman triathlon training
As any endurance athlete knows, competing in extreme heat is a whole different challenge. It changes the competitive platform, adding another component that stresses an already stressed body and its systems.
Many triathlon events, such as the Ironman challenges Timo Bracht and Heleen Bij de Vaate participate in annually, take place in Arizona and Hawaii. Lack of major storms and weather-related conditions make these the ideal places to hold sporting events yet even in the wintertime, Arizona and Hawaii can be quite hot. So how does the professional athlete cope?
First, being in optimal physical shape is important. Without built-up endurance, the body is unable to cope with the stress of extreme heat. Second, adequate hydration is vital. Excess perspiration results in the loss of fluids, minerals, and enzymes. Although high temperatures are not conducive to a good appetite, it is essential that the athlete replenish not only fluids, but the vitamins and minerals found in healthy foods eaten in small portions throughout the day.
Sports Supplements aid the body in quick recovery from heat stress, too. Extreme Endurance contains magnesium, potassium, antioxidants, trace minerals, and enzymes in amounts developed to increase the endurance and performance of the athlete, but these substances also help to keep the body functioning at its optimum in high temperatures.
If you are planning on competing in an event in a hot locale, build up to exercising in these conditions gradually. Try to recreate the heat levels in your workout room, being sure to keep yourself hydrated. Start taking supplements well in advance of the event so that your body is already performing at its fittest. Don’t forget to follow the same rules when swimming. Even though submersion in water cools the body, it is does not negate the need for nutrients and fluids.
Competing in the heat is an extreme challenge even for professional endurance athletes but with the proper preparation and constant maintenance, it need not result in injury.