Train More or Better? Training Volume in Amateur Ironman
Paulo Puccinelli explains how experience and recovery impact performance more than training hours.
Sports physician Paulo Puccinelli joined Café com Tri to demystify the relationship between training volume and performance in amateur Ironman. His study reveals that more hours don't always mean better results. Athlete individuality and "life load" are crucial for performance.
The Café com Tri episode welcomed Dr. Paulo Puccinelli, a sports physician, triathlete, marathon runner, and now also a Hyrox athlete. With a solid academic background (USP, UNIFESP with a PhD in Exercise Physiology) combined with practical experience in sports, Puccinelli brought a fundamental discussion to the endurance community: "Train more or train better?". The conversation revolved around a study he co-authored, sparking an intense debate among amateur triathletes.
The Study That Questioned "The More, The Better"
Dr. Puccinelli presented one of the developments from his doctoral work, an article titled "The impact of training volume and experience on amateur Ironman triathlon performance," primarily authored by Dr. Rafa Sinisgalli. The study caused a stir by concluding that there was no direct relationship between training volume (measured in weekly hours) and performance in amateur triathletes.
This finding challenges the intuition that "the more you train, the better you perform." The question naturally arises: why might athletes who train 30 hours perform worse than others who train 18 hours? For Puccinelli, the key lies in the individualization of training response and recovery capacity. Unlike professional athletes, who center their routines around recovery, amateurs must balance training demands with work, family, and personal life. Each individual reacts uniquely: some respond better to high volume with low intensity, while others benefit more from lower volume with high intensity. Understanding this physiological individuality is crucial.
Experience: The Most Determining Factor for Performance
A highlight of the conversation was the influence of experience. Dr. Puccinelli revealed that his study identified triathlon experience as the variable most strongly associated with performance, even surpassing metrics like VO2 max, running economy, or maximal aerobic aerobic speed. Experience isn't just about time in the sport; it's the development of self-awareness, the ability to train intelligently, and the skill to adjust training load according to the body's needs.
Despite the temptation to increase volume after a good race, many amateurs end up performing worse. Experienced athletes learn to absorb training load more effectively, recognizing the importance of consistency and listening to their bodies for sustainable and continuous progress.
The Limitations of Training Load Metrics
Calculating the ideal training volume is the "million-dollar question." Tools like TRIMP (Training Impulse) and Training Peaks equations (such as Intensity Factor – IF and Training Stress Score – TSS) aim to quantify load but are not perfect. TSS, for example, can overestimate volume in continuous training and underestimate intensity, without considering residual fatigue or long-term durability.
Puccinelli's own study, which used training hours measured in a specific week (six weeks before the race), acknowledges this limitation. Ideally, assessment should consider the full training cycle, intensity across different modalities (an athlete might have high volume in cycling and high intensity in running, for instance), and individual response over time.
"Life Load" and the Danger of Social Media Comparison
The conversation introduced the concept of "life load," emphasizing that training extends far beyond the workout plan. Factors like adequate recovery, nutrition, sleep quality, work-related stress, and personal life stress are integral to the "total volume" an athlete can withstand. Maturity in sports, exemplified by co-host Sérgio Magalhães, leads to wiser decisions, such as prioritizing rest instead of forcing a workout on a day of high demand or fatigue.
Social pressure, amplified by social media where professional and elite amateur athletes share their training, leads to unrealistic comparisons. This fosters a mentality of relentless pursuit of personal records (PRs) and ambitious time goals (like a "sub-3h" marathon or a "sub-9h" Ironman), often ignoring individuality and athletic longevity. Beto Nitrini shared his own experience at 50, learning to value participation and personal satisfaction over chasing PRs from a youth that won't return, and accepting the natural fluctuations in performance with age.
Hyrox: The New Craze Captivating Endurance Athletes
The conversation also explored Hyrox, a relatively new sport that has attracted many endurance athletes, including triathletes. Hyrox is a standardized event that combines eight 1km running segments with eight functional strength stations. Stations include exercises like ski erg, rowing, sled push/pull, burpee broad jumps, wall balls, farmer's carry, and sandbag lunges.
With an average duration of about an hour, Hyrox benefits from triathletes' ability to run while fatigued. It's considered more accessible and less injury-prone than CrossFit, for example, due to less technical exercises and being indoor, eliminating the need for expensive equipment like bicycles or pools. The sport already has a world circuit and categories (Pro and Open), even seeking Olympic recognition, which will require stricter anti-doping tests.
Dr. Puccinelli, who transitioned to Hyrox after an injury sidelined him from trail running, sees the sport as an excellent way to maintain intensity and complement strength training. While it's challenging to combine Hyrox with full triathlon training, its strength elements can be incorporated for injury prevention and performance improvement. Hyrox offers a challenging and democratic "obstacle course" experience, with no cutoff times, making it appealing to a wide range of athletes.