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In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. The aims of the present study were, therefore, i to investigate the origin and the fastest IRONMAN race courses for professional triathletes and ii to evaluate the best environmental conditions i.
Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and machine learning ML regression models. The models considered gender, country of origin, event location, water, and air temperature as independent variables to predict the final race time.
Switzerland had the fastest and Japan and Slovakia the slowest athletes. Two aspects of this triathlon format that have received less attention so far were the role of nationality and environmental conditions such as ambient temperatures and race course characteristics. With regards to the role of environmental conditions on performance in this triathlon format, few data existed More data existed in marathon runners For elite marathon runners, the influence of temperature seemed to be the opposite compared to age group runners.
The difference regarding the influence of environmental conditions between elite and non-elite runners is well described. Overall, some athletes e. An important aspect regarding environmental conditions, swimming and water temperatures is the use of wetsuits Wetsuits offer improved buoyancy and propelling efficiency, contributing to faster swimming times 20 , 21 , The use of wetsuits reduced the trunc incline and consecutively drag, increased propelling proficiency, led to lower fatigability 21 and also led to an improvement in swimming performance with a reduction in gross energy consumption The effect of the use of wetsuits regarding performance seems to depend upon the water temperature and the performance level of the triathletes.
