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IMPACT OF APPARENT TEMPERATURE AND AGE ON HYDRATION-RELATED ILLNESS DURING ULTRA-ENDURANCE TRIATHLON COMPETITION

Abstract

J. D. Scott, C. Connolly

Washington State University, Pullman, WA

Hydration-related illnesses (HRI) (Dehydration, Electrolyte Imbalance, and Hyponatremia) are prevalent in ultra-endurance triathlon competitions and may impact athlete safety and race completion. Minimal research currently exists on the impact of apparent temperature (AT) and athlete age on HRI illness. PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of HRI for age ranges (18-29, 30-49, ≥50) at various AT (31.7-37.1, 37.2-38.5, 38.6-45.7) over 20 years of Ironman World Championships competition in Kona, HI. The secondary purpose of this project was to investigate the relationships among age, AT, and race incompletion (DNF) for athletes suffering from HRI. METHODS: Of all athletes who participated in this competition (n=37,335) individuals diagnosed with HRI (n=2,600), were included in our secondary data analysis. Some athletes were excluded from study analyses due to missing age data (n=212). Data from medical records for these athletes were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance with statistical significance set at <0.05. RESULTS: In general, the 30-49 age category had a greater incidence of HRI (4.9%), compared to low and high age ranges (1.3% and 1.2%). Age was found to significantly predict incidence of HRI (p<0.01), while AT did not. Likewise, age was found to significantly predict DNF (p=0.03) while AT did not. HRI and DNF incidence did not significantly differ by AT range. Overall, DNF rate for athletes with HRI was 16.7%. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate AT does not significantly influence HRI or DNF incidence at the Ironman World Championships competition. However, age appears to significantly impact the risk of both HRI and DNF. Future research in ultra-endurance triathlon competition should focus on possible predictors of HRI within specific age groups of various competition levels, and across varying environmental conditions.

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