How many calories does an Ironman world champion burn? 🔥
Absolutely savage
Training volume and total energy expenditure of an Olympic and Ironman world champion: approaching the upper limits of human capabilities
Study Details
This new study analysed the total energy expenditure of world-class triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt using doubly labeled water (DLW) alongside 3-years of training data 🏊🚴🏃
Here are the key findings ⬇️
Key Findings
🔥 Total energy expenditure ranged from 7,019 to 8,506 kcal/day
🍽️ Reported energy intake ranged from 4,899 to 6,360 kcal/day
🗓️ The annual training volumes for the years 2020–2022 were 1,480, 1,350, and 1,308 h, respectively
📊 ~53% of the entire 3-year period matched with the DLW measurement periods in terms of training volume
🔍 Indicating that the reported energy expenditure was representative of the majority of the 3-year period
📈 The greater part of the 3-yr period likely exceeded the proposed metabolic ceiling for sustained total energy expenditure (2.5x basal metabolic rate)
Conclusion
World class endurance athletes are likely to exceed this “metabolic ceiling”.
With energy expenditure of these numbers, emphasis on maximising fuelling during exercise becomes absolutely essential 🔥
Reference
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00706.2024
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