Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40770400›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Sex-specific differences in performance and pacing in the world's longest triathlon in history.

Beat Knechtle, Luciano Bernardes Leite, Pedro Forte, Marilia Santos Andrade, Pantelis T Nikolaidis, Volker Scheer, Sasa Duric, Ivan Cuk, Thomas Rosemann

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Beat KnechtleMedbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, Vadianstrasse 26, St. Gallen, 9001, Switzerland. beat.knechtle@hispeed.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2412-9103
Luciano Bernardes LeiteDepartment of Physical Education, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3012-1327
Pedro ForteDepartment of Sports, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0184-6780
Marilia Santos AndradeDepartment of Physiology, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7004-4565
Pantelis T NikolaidisSchool of Health and Caring Sciences, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8030-7122
Volker ScheerUltra Sports Science Foundation, Pierre-Benite, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0074-3624
Sasa DuricLiberal Arts Department, American University of the Middle East, Egaila, Kuwait.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3392-0087
Ivan CukFaculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7819-4384
Thomas RosemannInstitute of Primary Care, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6436-6306

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sex differences in performance and pacing in triathlon have been studied for IRONMAN triathlons (3.8 km swimming, 180 km cycling and 42.195 km of running) and ultra-triathlons (i.e. Double-, Triple-, Quintuple- and Deca Iron ultra-triathlons) corresponding to 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x the IRONMAN triathlon distance. However, no study has to date investigated the sex difference in performance and pacing in the longest triathlon held in history, the Triple Deca Iron ultra-triathlon covering 114 km of swimming, 5,400 km of cycling and 1,266 km of running. A total of 14 triathletes (10 men and four women) competed in the 2024 Triple Deca Ultra Triathlon in Desenzano del Garda, with four men and three women officially finishing the race within the time limit. The data were analyzed to investigate performance differences across disciplines (i.e. swimming, cycling, and running), pacing strategies and sex differences. Variability was assessed using each discipline's coefficient of variation (CV). The relation-ships between CV and overall rankings were examined using linear regression analysis. Men were faster in swimming (12.4%), cycling (24.8%) and running (8.5%). Cycling showed the greatest pacing variability, while running exhibited steadier pacing, with more consistent athletes performing better overall, reflecting the unique endurance challenges of this segment. Overall, men were faster than women in all split disciplines, with the highest sex difference in cycling and the smallest in running. The analysis revealed significant differences in both cycling and running times among athletes. The variability in cycling times indicates diverse pacing strategies and endurance levels, while the running times further highlight the individual performance dynamics of the athletes. The results illustrate how variability in pacing affects cumulative performance and final rankings.

Indexed as

Athletic PerformanceBicyclingPhysical EnduranceRunningSex CharacteristicsSwimmingAdultAthletesFemaleHumansMaleSex FactorsCyclingPerformanceRunningSwimmingUltra-endurance

Identifiers

PMID40770400
PMCPMC12329040

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.