Body type could give some athletes an advantage in certain climates, study shows

Is it possible for some athletes to perform better than others depending on the climate? A new study out of the United States is trying to answer this question using data from Ironman competitions.

The Ironman triathlon is a long-distance race where competitors swim, ride a bike and run a marathon, all in the span of about 10 to 15 hours. Ryan Calsbeek, a professor of biological sciences at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, looked at data from nearly 200 contestants over 20 years to see if the temperature on the day they competed may have affected their results.

Although no clear difference was observed during the swimming or cycling portions of the race, performance during the marathon could be linked to the athlete’s physique. However, this trend was only observed among men.

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Athletes who were taller and leaner, with longer limbs, excelled in marathons held in warm climates. Meanwhile, athletes with stockier builds and shorter limbs performed better in cooler climates.

CTV News Science and Technology Specialist Dan Riskin explains why that could be the case in this month’s Riskin Report. Click the video at the top of this article to watch.