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If you are a pro triathlete, please
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Thanks to
@A_drizzle , I am now free to lose the dadbod and get as fit as I want!
So sure, there are no diminishing returns as you move into the top 2% of fitness. But is anyone looking at the impact that long-term, high-level Ironman training has on the body? Is it really "healthy" to be fit enough to race at the level of the top pros?
#KOAT
Comments
(1) Yes
(2) No and yes, depending on how you're defining healthy. In terms of just your cardiovascular system - yes, as per the research Hutchinson cites. In terms of hormonal imbalance, chronically elevated cortisol and the downstream effects of such - more likely no.
The thing I see a lot of regular folks miss (like that tweet) is that they don't quite understand the depth of fatigue and true damage that pro athletics can do to you - and especially ultra endurance athletics. Pro's aren't the top 2% of the population. They're the top 2% of those already actively participating in regular training (so probably 0.1% of the overall population). It's so common to see high cortisol, jacked up hormones, chronic fatigue, injuries, and sometimes serious stuff like heart problems. And subjectively, a lot of top pros look like they've aged more than the average person.
I think it's possible to still be pretty healthy and be a pro. But it requires a lot of management, proactive therapy, supplementation, a great (personalized) diet, stress management, and ideally enough money that you don't need to have another job.
MY PATREON!
Now that I think about it, this really explains my last couple years...