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It's True! Triathletes Are Toughest...

Thursday, 24 October 2013 00:10

By Melissa Dahl (TODAY - Oct. 15, 2013)

Triathletes can tolerate more pain than the rest of us, a new study confirms, which helps explain why they would swim, then bike, then run, all because they want to and not because they are, perhaps, being chased by a bear.

That’s interesting on its own, but there’s more: Researchers say that understanding how athletes can withstand the pain of a grueling endurance event may eventually lead to potential treatments and therapies for people with chronic pain.

“It’s a very masochistic sport,” said Jenna Parker, who was the top female finisher in the New York City...

Triathlon in July. She was joking, but only kind of. “I guess to some extent, I always wondered what it is that makes people able to compete at a high level in athletics. Obviously there’s something that’s different that makes us able to push our physical boundaries in a way that other people can’t.”

It was a small study, with just 36 participants: 19 triathletes (10 men and nine women) and 17 non-triathletes (seven men and 10 women). The triathletes each compete in at least two national competitions a year – either Olympic distance or Ironman; the non-triathletes were active, but more casual exercisers – runners, swimmers, Zumba-ers. READ MORE