Debunking the Myth: Men Over 40 Think Twice About Reading Bloomberg

I have finally had enough and am taking it to the street, that street being Bloomberg. Here is the poorly written, and even more importantly, poorly researched article written on June 21, 2013:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-20/men-over-40-should-think-twice-before-running-triathlons.html

Nice headline. "Running triathlons." Really? That is how you start the article? Let me guess, the writer has never "ran" a triathlon....

Don't get me wrong, there are a couple nuggets of truth in this article...athletes aged 40-49 and 50-59 make up two of the largest age groups competing in triathlon. True. The swim leg of the race is where the most fatalities occur. True. Competition changes are coming. Probably true. The rest of the article is basically a well-publicized and well-marketed warning label for those who compete in the sport, with very little data research and interpretation. Weird that a media behemoth would conjure fear in its audience for hits to its website...Now it's my (and probably all triathlete's) turn:

Let me preface this post by stating that my heart goes out to the families of those who have passed by competing in this sport that we all share the same passion for. It is a travesty and I truly believe that as participation increases, individual awareness and event coordinator controls will eventually increase (fortunately or unfortunately, save for another discussion...think wave swim starts). Now to the research/science behind what is going on. You can do a google search and find a plethora of published, reputable studies on SIPE risks among triathletes. At the end of the day, the 99.99% cause of death in triathletes is SIPE. The other .01% would be primarily reflective of accidents while on the bike course. As with any death due to disease or ailment, there are risk factors that can be tested for to determine causality.

Open this article and scroll to page 4: http://www.endurancetriathletes.com/AJEM_oct_2010.pdf  This table illustrates a controlled study of 1,411 participants distributed among age-groups and gender, pairing with the actual USAT distribution of those same groups. The first thing you should note is that there were 31 deaths, or 2.2% of athletes. The next thing you should note is that the 3 largest groups based on # of participants have the highest rate of deaths, makes sense so far. The group with the largest number of deaths is 40-49, hence the title of the Bloomberg article. Interestingly enough, what does not correlate to the Bloomberg article is the fact that that 22 (65%) of the 31 total deaths in the study were women, not men. 24 of the 31 deaths had normal blood pressure (or no known abnormal blood pressure prior to racing). 30 of the 31 deaths were non-diabetics. So we can scratch off diabetes and abnormal blood pressure from causality.

 Here are the nutritional risk factors:

• 22 of the 31 (71%) deaths had low, or no, vitamin C concentration in their system during autopsy
• 27 of the 31 (87%) deaths had low, or no, vitamin E concentration in their system during autopsy
• 26 of 31 (84%) had low, or no, flax seed oil in their system during autopsy

 Here are, in my opinion, the truly tangible risk factors:

• 23 of 31 (74%) athletes who perished were categorized by surviving family members and friends as “not strong” swimmers
• 26 of 31 (84%) athletes who perished did NOT participate in a pre-race warm-up swim
• 22 of 31 (71%) athletes who perished drank less than 1L of fluids prior to the swim
• 22 of 31 (71%) athletes who perished did so in an OWS, not a pool
• 18 of 31 (58%) athletes who perished did so wearing a wetsuit
• 21 of 31 (68%) athletes who perished did so on a SHORT course triathlon, that is, events less than 70.3 and 140.6
• 19 of 31 (61%) athletes who perished trained in lower heat index environments vs. hotter climates

My interpretation of the statistical data is as follows:

• Women aged 40-60 are most susceptible to death from SIPE while competing in triathlon
• 90% of athletes who perished were in good health, as evidenced by normal blood pressure and non-diabetic characteristics
• Events that utilize an OWS and allow wetsuits are more likely to have fatalities
• Athletes who take the opportunity to do a warm-up swim before the gun are less likely to perish
• Athletes who are properly hydrated before the gun are less likely to perish
• Athletes who have properly supplemented their nutrition are less likely to perish
• Training in hotter climates reduces the risk of death in competition
• Athletes participating in short-course events are more likely to perish given the above risk factors

After reviewing this study, along with additional research available in various medical journals, we can conclude that the vast majority of deaths in triathlon occur by individuals who are ill-prepared for the race they are competing in. Whether it is a hydration, nutrition or acclimation (water, wetsuit, venue, etc.) issue, athletes are more likely to perish if they forego the proper training for the event they are competing in. Reading that statement over again, it seems common sense. The most interesting data point to me is the fact that 70% of fatalities occurred in short-course events. I have to presume this is due to the fact that athletes who compete in long-course events are better prepared, perhaps out of fear, for the event they are competing in. It would be interesting to see a data point on how many events those who perished competed in prior to their death. Were they seasoned athletes or more casual about their racing and/or training?

I did this research because the article evoked a fear in me and I wanted some support for the theory. We will all eventually be in these age-groups! I love this sport and NEVER want to hear of, or know of, anyone who passes while in competition. I pray to God that it never happens to me or anyone I know. That being said, I think we need more definitive data than the blanket statement that the Bloomberg article made. I hope this sheds some light on what is becoming quite a controversial topic in our sport.

And remember, sometimes finishing the race = winning the race....Know your limitations before the gun and race your race accordingly.