Originally Posted by Taipei325

That is a very good point about DVT. I travelled from Taiwan-East Coast North America four times in one summer...on the 4th flight...developed DVT which broke off and formed an embolism in my right lung. I'm was 36, healthy and fit. Turns out my genes for "protein s" make me susceptible to clots.

However, in many cases, SIPEs are not related to blood clots. Instead, swimming deaths in triathlon seem to be related to water temperature, pressure from the suit, adrenalin in the body pre-race, and going out hard to clear the pack. Fitter athletes have a higher rate of death from SIPEs than less fit athletes.

There will always be risks. To manage the risks...get in the water before the swim if possible and put your wetsuit on last minute. Too much standing around fully zipped up in high ambient temps...then a plunge into cold water and a massive and sudden increase in physical exertion...that is not a good thing regardless if it ends up being the cause of SIPEs or not. Warming up in the water will help. Race directors should also let athletes start from the water so that the body can adjust more slowly to the temp difference. And I always try to keep my pace down for the first few hundred meters until I can feel my respiratory needs increasing and I know my body is clicking over into performance mode. Sometimes means I can stuck a little at the front edge of the pack...but hey...part of what I love about triathlon is the chaos of a group swim! If I go out hard...I'm such a porpoise in the water I won't get that experience!