The world´s triathlon elite met in Cascais / Portugal for the Global Triathlon Conference from 31st August to 01st September 2017. Physicians, scientists and top coaches in the field of multi-sport presented their latest findings in both lectures and discussions. This was also the year that our fluidlife boss MMag. Dr. David Höden, was one of the six invited keynote speakers. In his one-hour talk, David presented and compared the latest data, based on his Ph.D. research, on training, supplementation, and injuries in long-distance triathlon. Prof. Mike Tipton, a world leader in military, industrial (sportswear) and elite sports research related to thermoregulation and life survival in cold conditions, and his scientific Partner Dr. Dan Roiz de Sa, a British Navy expert on heat and heat in extreme conditions, who are also the strategic consultants for the double Olympic champion Alastair Brownlee and his brother Jonny, the double Olympic medallist, reviewed on the challenges and opportunities of different weather conditions both on land and in the water. They also did a special presentation, targetted at those athltes and coaches who are preparing for the upcoming Olympic Games, on the optimal race strategy, bearing in mind its difficult environmental conditons of extreme humidity and heat, for Tokyo 2020, which will demand a special race strategy due to the difficult climatic conditions (extreme heat and humidity). Dr. Victoria Kimonides, a neuroscientist and biochemist from Athens and Microsoft’s technology strategy director for Central and Western Europe, talked about Real Madrid’s IT innovations in terms of the athlete data capture and analysis. Dr Stuart Miller, the medical lead for the English Institute of Sport and chief medical officer for the British Paralympic Association, gave an insight on the one hand into new treatment strategies for sports injuries (Achilles tendon …), and, on the other hand, on the special requirements of the Paralympic athletes. Scott Murray, a top level coach and instructor for both the British Triathlon Federation and the ITU, covered what coaches can “tell” scientists, as well as how communication problems between them could be eliminated, in his talk.
Professor Francesca Piacentini, an expert in youth sports, training monitoring and overtraining at “Foro Italico”, the renowned sports specific institute of the University of Rome, used the annual plans of the Italian Open Water National Team to illustrate possible risk factors in a wide range of areas for health and performance-related undesirable developments. In addition to local greats such as Dr João Beckert, director and chief medical officer of the Portuguese national Olympic training center and the best (and seven times Mational Champion) Portuguese long-distance athlete Vanessa Pereira, the organiser of this conference, Dr. med. Veronica Vleck, the longtime chairwoman of the Medical and Reseach Committee of the Euroiepan Triathlon Union (ETU) and a world-renowned scientist, presented some of her wealth of data on short distance elite athletes. Apart from the many new insights and the unique opportunity afforded to all by this conference, it was nice to see, according to David, that nearly all the speakers actively participated in the Cascais Ironman 70.3 two days later. It was even better to spend a week holidaying unexpectedly with these nice experts and to be able to significantly increase one´s knowledge and experience during joint cooking evenings and various fun activities!