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Fluid retention, muscle damage, and altered body composition at the Ultraman triathlon

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Abstract

Purpose

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of participation in a 3-day multistage ultraendurance triathlon (stage 1 = 10 km swim, 144.8 km bike; stage 2 = 275.4 km bike; stage 3 = 84.4 km run) on body mass and composition, hydration status, hormones, muscle damage, and blood glucose.

Methods

Eighteen triathletes (mean ± SD; age 41 ± 7.5 years; height 175 ± 9 cm; weight 73.5 ± 9.8 kg; male n = 14, female n = 4) were assessed before and after each stage of the race. Body mass and composition were measured via bioelectrical impedance, hydration status via urine specific gravity, hormones and muscle damage via venous blood draw, and blood glucose via fingerstick.

Results

Following the race, significant changes included reductions in body mass (qualified effect size: trivial), fat mass (moderate), and percent body fat (small); increases in percent total body water (moderate) and urine specific gravity (large); and unchanged absolute total body water and fat-free mass. There were also extremely large increases in creatine kinase, C-reactive protein, aldosterone and cortisol combined with reductions in testosterone (small) and the testosterone:cortisol ratio (moderate). There were associations between post-race aldosterone and total body water (r = −0.504) and changes in cortisol and fat-free mass (r = −0.536). Finally, blood glucose increased in a stepwise manner prior to each stage.

Conclusions

Participation in Ultraman Florida leads to fluid retention and dramatic alterations in body composition, muscle health, hormones, and metabolism.

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Abbreviations

BIA:

Bioelectrical impedance

CK:

Creatine kinase

CRP:

C-reactive protein

ES:

Effect size

FFA:

Free fatty acid

FFM:

Fat-free mass

TBW:

Total body water

TC:

Testosterone to cortisol ratio

USG:

Urine specific gravity

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all of the athletes that participated in the study and the race directors for permitting us to collect data. Additionally, we thank Fernanda De Carvalho Silva Vargas and Brittany Allman for assistance with the analysis of blood samples. Finally, thanks to Chuck Kemeny for introducing us to the race and facilitating data collection. This study was funded by the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine at Florida State University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine, Florida State University, 1104 Spirit Way, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA

    Daniel A. Baur, Christopher W. Bach, William J. Hyder & Michael J. Ormsbee

  2. Discipline of Biokinetics, Exercise and Leisure Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

    Michael J. Ormsbee

Authors
  1. Daniel A. Baur
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  2. Christopher W. Bach
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  3. William J. Hyder
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Correspondence to Michael J. Ormsbee.

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Communicated by Michael Lindinger.

This work was supported by the Florida State University Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine.

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Baur, D.A., Bach, C.W., Hyder, W.J. et al. Fluid retention, muscle damage, and altered body composition at the Ultraman triathlon. Eur J Appl Physiol 116, 447–458 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3291-9

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