triathlon, diet, nutrition, supplements, conditioning, warm up

This Sunday is the final triathlon of the 2008 BG World Cup Series and for the first time ever it will be held in the city of Huatulco. Male and Female Triathletes from all over the world will be flocking to Mexico in a last ditch attempt to improve their final rankings so they can qualify for the end of season prize money.

The triathletes will face a 1.5 km swim, 40km cycle and 10km run but the nature of the course should result in some speedy times. The swim takes place in a warm, calm sea bay and the cycle and run races are on a flat, paved surface. The course is only subject to some minor elevation and there are no real signs of uneven terrain.

The course sounds perfect, and in theory it is, but the Mexican heat may well hinder the performance of many of the Triathletes. A triathlon is a gruelling test of fitness and stamina and hydration plays an essential role at the best of times. However when competing in such levels of heat and humidity as those in Mexico are, taking on fluids becomes even more essential particularly as an athlete can lose up to 2 litres an hour. The body is made up of 70% of water and even a tiny loss can significantly reduce performance.

A comprehensive hydration strategy is thus required and this involves ensuring good hydration before a competition, maintaining it throughout and continuing it after in order to aid recovery. This strategy does not just include downing litres of water; serious athletes need to consider other nutritional drinks in order to replace the valuable minerals they lose through sweating.

Learn more on the importance of hydration and how you can improve your hydration strategy with our Hydration For Optimal Sports Performance report - click here and save 33%

Due to the absence of Australian Felicity Abram, who was forced to withdraw due to illness, New Zealander Sam Warriner only needs to finish in 7th place to become the women’s World Cup Series Champion. The men's World Cup Series has already been decided after Spain's Javier Gomez claimed the top spot following an impressive five win streak. New Zealands Bevan Docherty finished second and Russia’s Ivan Vasiliev third. Looks like its tequilas all round!  

	Author:	The Sports Nut (The Sports Nut's profile, The Sports Nut's blog)
	Posted On:	Wed, 2008-10-22 16:58
	Tags:	triathlon, warm up, conditioning, diet, supplements and nutrition
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