Aims: 

Extremely long distance competitions (triathlon, marathon running, duathlon, ironmen) became more and more popular during the last decades both as top-level sport and as leisure-time activity. It is well known that endurance training is the most suitable to develop the athlete's heart. In our recent investigation it was found that cycle racers and aquatic athletes have slightly higher blood pressure than the other athletes. In the present study blood pressure and the cardiac athletic characteristics were investigated in top-level triathlon competitors, as this branch of sports contains cycling and swimming as well.

Methods: 

Resting blood pressure, 2D guided M-mode, transmitral Doppler and tissue Doppler echocardiographic data of 57 male and 17 female top-level triathlon competitors were compared with data of age matched non-athletes and athletes of other baranches of sports.

Results: 

Triathlon competitors showed very high relative aerobic power. Blood pressure of the male competitors was nearly in the middle of the rank of sports, it was lower than that of road cycle racers and similar to that of water polo players. Female triathlonists had a high blood pressure, synchronized swimmers and pentathlonists only showed higher values. Left ventricular hypertrophy was smaller than in the water polo players and endurance athletes, the muscular quotient (wall thickness/internal diameter) was slightly higher, indicating a small extent of concentric type hypertrophy. E/A quotient (indicating diastolic function) and resting heart rate (expressing autonomous regulation) were also at the highest level.

Conclusion: 

Complex, ultra endurance athletes, namely triathlon competitors show a high level endurance fitness. Blood pressure elevating effect of cycling and swimming seems to be diminished by the running. The moderate intensity of the extremely long competitive issues seems to impede the development of very extensive left ventricular hypertrophy.