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Celebrating 40 Years of Ironman: How the Champions Perform

Author

Listed:
  • Lucas Pinheiro Barbosa

    (Graduate Program in Physical Education, Catholic University of Brasília, 71966-700 Brasília, Brazil
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Caio Victor Sousa

    (Graduate Program in Physical Education, Catholic University of Brasília, 71966-700 Brasília, Brazil
    Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Marcelo Magalhães Sales

    (Physical Education Department, Goias State University, Quirinópolis, 75860-000 GO, Brazil)

  • Rafael dos Reis Olher

    (Graduate Program in Physical Education, Catholic University of Brasília, 71966-700 Brasília, Brazil)

  • Samuel Silva Aguiar

    (Graduate Program in Physical Education, Catholic University of Brasília, 71966-700 Brasília, Brazil)

  • Patrick Anderson Santos

    (Graduate Program in Physical Education, Catholic University of Brasília, 71966-700 Brasília, Brazil)

  • Eduard Tiozzo

    (Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA)

  • Herbert Gustavo Simões

    (Graduate Program in Physical Education, Catholic University of Brasília, 71966-700 Brasília, Brazil)

  • Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis

    (Exercise Physiology Laboratory, 18450 Nikaia, Greece)

  • Beat Knechtle

    (Medbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, 9001 St. Gallen, Switzerland
    Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland)

Abstract

We aimed to determine which discipline had the greater performance improvements in the history of Ironman triathlon in Hawaii and also which discipline had the greater influence in overall race time. Data from 1983 to 2018 of the top three women and men of each year who competed in the Ironman World Championship were included. In addition to exploratory data analyses, linear regressions between split times and years of achievement were performed. Further, a stepwise multiple linear regression was applied using total race time as the dependent variable and split times as the independent variables. Both women and men significantly improved their performances from 1983 to 2018 in the Ironman World Championship. Swimming had the largest difference in improvements between men and women (3.0% versus 12.1%, respectively). A negative and significant decrease in each discipline was identified for both women and men, with cycling being the discipline with the greatest reduction. The results from the stepwise multiple regression indicated that cycling was the discipline with the highest influence on overall race time for both sexes. Based on the findings of this study, cycling seems to be the Ironman triathlon discipline that most improved overall race times and is also the discipline with the greatest influence on the overall race time of elite men and women in the Ironman World Championship.

Suggested Citation

  • Lucas Pinheiro Barbosa & Caio Victor Sousa & Marcelo Magalhães Sales & Rafael dos Reis Olher & Samuel Silva Aguiar & Patrick Anderson Santos & Eduard Tiozzo & Herbert Gustavo Simões & Pantelis Theodor, 2019. "Celebrating 40 Years of Ironman: How the Champions Perform," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-9, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:6:p:1019-:d:215708
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Caio Victor Sousa & Pantelis T. Nikolaidis & Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez & Thomas Rosemann & Beat Knechtle, 2020. "Pacing and Performance Analysis of the World’s Fastest Female Ultra-Triathlete in 5x and 10x Ironman," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-9, February.
    2. Caio Victor Sousa & Samuel da Silva Aguiar & Thomas Rosemann & Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis & Beat Knechtle, 2019. "American Masters Road Running Records—The Performance Gap Between Female and Male Age Group Runners from 5 Km to 6 Days Running," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-9, June.
    3. Caio Victor Sousa & Rinaldo Wellerson Pereira & Thomas Rosemann & Pantelis T. Nikolaidis & Beat Knechtle, 2020. "Self-Selected Pacing During a World Record Attempt in 40 Ironman-Distance Triathlons in 40 Days," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-14, April.
    4. André Bonadias Gadelha & Caio Victor Sousa & Marcelo Magalhaes Sales & Thiago dos Santos Rosa & Marti Flothmann & Lucas Pinheiro Barbosa & Samuel da Silva Aguiar & Rafael Reis Olher & Elias Villiger &, 2020. "Cut-Off Values in the Prediction of Success in Olympic Distance Triathlon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Kristian Jäckel & Caio Victor Sousa & Elias Villiger & Pantelis T. Nikolaidis & Beat Knechtle, 2020. "The Age-Related Performance Decline in Ironman 70.3," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-11, March.

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