Evaluation of the Sport
Movement Analysis
- A triathlon encompasses all-body motion which uses repetitive, continuous leg and arm movement patterns during swimming and running. However, cycling is primarily a repetitive leg movement pattern.
- Within the different disciplines of a triathlon, swimming involves all major muscle groups, especially the shoulders, back, chest, hips and knees. Running mainly uses all lower body muscles groups, maintaining postural position with the shoulders and arms. Cycling on the other hand primarily uses lower body muscle groups in particular the quadriceps and hamstrings. All disciplines include trunk stabilisation through the core muscles.
- All disciplines require unidirectional movement but swimming also involves some rotation.
- Physical requirements of a triathlon are muscular endurance, aerobic fitness, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, low body fat, core stability, speed (Baechle & Earle, 2008).
Physiological Analysis
- Primary requirements- Aerobic, cardiovascular and muscular endurance, strength and flexibility.
- Energy systems used- Aerobic- Glycolysis, Kreb's cycle, Electron transport chain and Beta oxidation (Hausswirth &Lehénaff, 2001; Laursen, 2011).
- No recovery occurs during a triathlon, therefore recovery prior to race, through tapering and during/following intense training periods (Kubukeli, Noakes & Dennis, 2002).
Injury Analysis
- When referring to epidemiology, the majority of injuries take place during running (71%), with swimming and cycling being associated with low incidences. It has been reported that 30% of triathlon injuries occur at the ankle and foot, 15% at the knee and 15% lower back (Burns, Keenan & Redmond, 2003). For example, triathletes are prone to suffer from runner's knee, stress fractures, achilles problems. Contusions occurred more frequently in cycling (82.2%). Muscle tendon injuries occurred most frequently in running (65.9%) cycling (14.4%0 and swimming (14.0%) (Egermann, Brocai, Lill & Schmitt, 2003).
- Techniques that cause injury are either due to poor or repetitive movement such as knee flexion/extension for running and cycling.
- Different surfaces and footwear can predispose to injury, such as running and cycling on uneven surfaces or a camber in the road. Hill running places excessive load on Achille's tendons and downhill running affects tibialis anterior and patella tendon. Insufficient shoes inhibits the foot from moving correctly.
- Appropriate equipment could influence injury. To minimise this, the wetsuit should be fitted correctly, the bike should be suitably adjusted to specific dimensions and running shoes and clip on cycling shoes should be worn.
Evaluation of the Athlete
Training History
- The participant is a complete novice to competitive endurance events. No previous training has been done in any of the three disciplines. Running mechanics is poor with running on toes causing fatigue and intermittent calf and hamstring tightness and has no experience in open water swimming or road cycling. Free weights or resistance machines have never been used and so will require initial guidance. However, was able to perform well on core stability testing.
Classification of Training Status
- With no previous training, the participant is at a beginner status and therefore has a training age of less than 2 months and is just embarking upon her first competitive event.
Physiological Testing
- As an aspiring triathlete, physiological components that would require assessment are cardiovascular endurance, joint flexibility and range of motion (Baechle & Earle, 2008).
Movement Assessments
- Movement assessments that would be required are muscular strength, muscular endurance, balance and speed.
Primary Resistance Training Goal
- Muscular endurance is the primary resistance training goal.
Secondary Training Goals
- Core stability and muscular strength are the secondary training goals.
