Articles by:
Jim Palmer
Many amateur athletes don't place a lot of value on stretching. But professional athletes sure do! And there is no sport where stretching is more important than the sport of triathlon. Triathletes with higher flexibility and elasticity in their muscles, perform more effectively and efficiently than athletes with low-elasticity muscles. Here's how add a basic stretching plan to your training routine.
What muscles are used in a triathlon? How well your muscles perform when swimming, biking and running comes down to how conditioned your muscles are to generate force within a wide range of motion. Weak, inflexible muscles can't generate much power and velocity, and are more prone to injury. This is why strength training is a vital part of triathlon training.
Though muscle cramps can come during the swim or bike portion, they are more common during the run since a person is more susceptible to fatigue or dehydration nearing the latter states of a triathlon. Here's why you get muscle cramps, plus what you can do to prevent them, and ultimately treat them.