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The physiological demands of triathlon (sequential exercise in swimming, cycling and running) are unique and require the triathlete to develop abilities that are a blend of those seen in individual endurance sports specialists. The training volume in triathlon is very high and the danger of developing overtraining syndrome in the triathletes is considerably greater than in sports on an average. The main goal of the present project is to elucidate the specificity of the adaptation processes to combined endurance training and to develop scientifically based methods for individualization of training loads in triathlon in order to increase the efficiency of training and reduce the danger of overtraining. The specific objectives of the project are the following. First, to assess the relationship between the changes in the activity of creatine kinase as well as the concentration of myoglobin in blood and the biomechanical charecteristics (elasticity and rigidity) of skeletal muscle in the training process. Second, to assess the changes of the concentration of leptin in blood plasma in the training process and the relationship of these changes with the volume and intensity of the training loads, shifts in the body composition and the levels of other hormones. Third, to assess the relationship of ACE gene polymorphism with the adaptability of human organism to the combined endurance training characteristic to triathlon. The expected outcome of the project is a significant improvement of the scientific understanding of the mechanisms of adaptation to combined endurance training. On this basis it becomes possible to individualize the training loads, increase the efficacy of training process and to reduce the danger of developing overtraining syndrome. |