Skip to content

Study note

Training and Competition Readiness in Triathlon.

Updated Oct 17, 2026

On this page
Population not classified in the source recordSports (Basel, Switzerland)2019Read the source on PubMed

What the study found

The review emphasizes coordinating swimming, cycling and running loads, including perceived strain and objective workload, rather than treating each discipline as a separate plan.

Participants and protocol

This narrative review discusses triathlon training readiness, intensity distribution, recovery and competition preparation across event distances.

Readiness is the balance of load and response

This review brings together triathlon periodisation, intensity distribution, internal and external load, strength work and the risk of illness, injury or maladaptation. Its central message is that a large multidisciplinary workload needs individual planning and recovery, not simply more sessions.

Use a weekly structure with clear priorities, keep easy work genuinely easy, add strength without compromising the key swim, bike and run sessions, and compare planned load with perceived stress and performance. When several signals deteriorate together, adjust the programme rather than waiting for one perfect metric.

This is a narrative synthesis rather than a trial of one readiness score or plan. Cellular interference and monitoring questions remain context dependent. Review its scope in the PubMed record.

Continue with your event

What this cannot establish

It does not test one adaptive plan or prove that a particular strength programme prevents injury. Much of the discussion concerns managing competing demands, not a universal weekly prescription.

Publication details
Record
PubMed 31035719
Publication types
review-article · Review
Source record checked
2026-10-18

Publication type and subject indexing describe the record; they are not a quality grade or proof of a benefit. An abstract does not replace a review of the full methods and results.

Adaptive AI coach for iPhone

Meet your adaptive AI coach.

Tell your coach what you are training for. It builds the plan, follows the work you complete, and adapts upcoming training when recovery, your schedule, or real life changes.

Start training now

Keep going

Performance Science Lab

Research summaries for endurance athletes, with study context, practical protocols, and clear limitations.

Open guide

Injury risk performance research

Running injuries have multiple contributing factors, including previous injury and training history. No single load measure explains individual risk.

Open guide

Long-course triathlon research: pacing, fueling and readiness

Evidence-informed protocol: Long-course triathlon research: pacing, fueling and readiness. Practical steps, who it helps, and what to watch out for.

Open guide

Sources