El triatlón es un deporte de resistencia que combina sucesivamente natación, ciclismo y carrera a pie. Como en otros deportes de estas características, la capacidad aeróbica máxima y la posibilidad de mantener una fracción alta del consumo de oxígeno máximo durante la competición son determinantes para el éxito. Ahora bien, el triatlón posee algunas peculiaridades, y la segunda transición es un momento clave, pues la capacidad para enlazar las etapas de ciclismo y carrera es determinante para el rendimiento, ya que la respuesta cardiorrespiratoria durante la carrera a pie de un triatlón se ve aumentada por diversos factores. Así, el objetivo del presente trabajo fue revisar las explicaciones que se han planteado para justificar la respuesta cardiorrespiratoria específica de la segunda transición del triatlón, comenzando por el “drift” cardiovascular y respiratorio, y terminando por los estudios que han abordado el entrenamiento específico de la segunda transición.

Palabras clave: triatlón; sucesión ciclismo-carrera; drift cardiovascular; coste metabólico; resistencia; fatiga respiratoria.

Abstract

Triahtlon is an endurance sport consisting of sequential swimming, cycling and running. As in other sports with similar characteristics, maximal aerobic capacity and the possibility to sustain high percentages of maximal oxygen uptake during competition are decisive to be successful. However, triathlon has some peculiarities, and the second transition is a key moment, because the ability to link cycling and running sectors is decisive for performance, as cardiorespiratory response during runing is increased by different factors. Thus, the aim of the present work was to review the explanations that have been considered to justify the specific cardiorespiratoy response during cycling-running succession in triathlon, from cardiovascular and ventilatory drift, to the studies that treat on specific traning adaptations during the second transition.

Key words: triathlon, cycle-run succession; cardiovascular drift; oxygen cost; endurance; respiratory fatigue.

doi:10.5232/ricyde2009.01405

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