The practice of this sport, which combines three different aerobic specialties, such as running, cycling and swimming, produce great benefits for the body, since its execution together allows the use of the large muscles of the body.
There are sports that allow you to have a good physical shape or a greater balance of all the muscles of the body and that also promote health, but when you merge three of them, these objectives are more guaranteed, that is the case of triathlon.
In this individual and endurance sport, each athlete competes against the clock, to obtain the best mark, in such a way that a successful performance requires a greater effort, a rigorous training schedule and better strategies; aspects that will allow you to face the demanding conditions of your physical and psychological tests.
The distance used at the Olympic level is 1,500 meters for swimming, 40 kilometers for cycling and 10 for running, while the Ironman Hawaii, the oldest and most prestigious triathlon in the world, consists of 3,800 meters, 180 kilometers and 42 kilometers , respectively. Also, there are the so-called sprints, recommended for beginners and consists of 550 meters of swimming, 20 kilometers of cycling and five kilometers of running.
Likewise, this type of test presents other forms of competition such as the Duathlon (running, cycling, running), the Cross Duathlon that applies in mountainous areas, the Aquathlon (running, swimming, running) and Quadriathlon , which incorporates canoeing.
Although it is not necessary to practice the sports that make up the test every day, it is mandatory to alternate them during the week and include rest days. It is essential to consider stretching exercises and complement with strength exercises. As for the intensity of the routines, it should vary according to the level of the athlete.
The practice will depend on the particularities of each individual, "Of the three disciplines, normally the person has greater command in two and in that case he must strive to strengthen the weakest, but maintain the conditions and capacities in the other two"
If the purposes are merely recreational, in that case the idea is to enjoy the three sports one day you run, another you swim and another bicycle, you can also vary the intensity values. Now, if you already swim and run frequently, and you want to do it with high performance goals, then you should increase your training from 5 to 6 hours a day .
To improve training, it is also recommended to maintain a well-balanced diet. "That is, the one that corresponds to the caloric expenditure that goes with the training. If you consume or have a 2,500-calorie diet, you cannot have a higher quantity training. Nor neglect the carbohydrates that are fundamental factors of energy.
Also, hydration is decisive, because high amounts of salts and minerals are lost ".
Of the three disciplines, normally the person has greater command in two and in that case he must strive to strengthen the weaker.