Successful innovations: wetsuits and aero bars

Innovations like the aerobar, power meter and GPS watches have shaped triathlon and endurance sports in the last decades. But what comes next? What will be the next big innovation to shape triathlon? Dr. David Lipman returns to the podcast to discuss what the next big innovations will be, and which ones might fall flat. We also take a stroll down memory lane to look at past innovations that succeeded and failed, and try to parse what it takes for an innovation to really stick. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

• Past innovations that succeeded and failed - David and I list five each from both categories. Do you agree with our takes here? 
• We predict the future of current or “coming soon” innovations. Will technologies like continuous sweat sensors, ventilation sensors, 3D-printed running shoes and many be huge hits or will they flop? 
• Where were we right and wrong in the past? We each name one innovation that  we called correctly (as success/failure) and one that we called incorrectly in the past
• What separates successful innovations in endurance sports from failed ones
• Why many promising physiological sensors struggle to achieve widespread adoption despite valid scientific rationales
• How network effects and ecosystem adoption influence technology success

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

• We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
• The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts692/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

• David’s website, Substack, Podcast and Instagram
• David’s previous appearance on That Triathlon Show: David Lipman | EP#414

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

• Information, decision making, training and technology | EP#452 - In this episode I am the interviewee. Among the topics covered, we discuss evaluatingf new products, technology, and metrics. Highly related to today’s episode
• Q&A on gear and technology | EP#400 - Carbon shoes, barefoot shoes, lactate meters, VO2master, Moxy/NIRS, etc. 
• François Modave, PhD – Artificial Intelligence in triathlon | EP#455 - Key concepts of artificial intelligence and how it could be applied (and to what level of success) in a triathlon context.

You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

• The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
• Contact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)
• Subscribe to our Newsletter
• Follow us on Instagram
• Learn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals. 

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? 

I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. 

• Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.
• Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far! 
• Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).
• Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack. 

SPONSORS: 

• Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout.
   
• Rouvy is hands down the most complete indoor cycling platform for triathletes. Among their thousands of beautiful bike courses from all around the world, all filmed in stunning quality, they have over 75 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race courses plus 20+ Challenge Family courses, so you can pre-ride your race from home. Real gradients, real visuals, and real feel! Head to rouvy.com and use the code TTS to get your first month free on top of a 7-day free trial.
   
• Effortless Swimming produce the best swim goggles for triathletes and open water swimmers. Their NanoClear anti-fog lenses give you clear, fog-free vision that lasts and doesn't wear off. Don't let foggy or leaky goggles ruin another swim. Go to shop.effortlessswimming.com and use the code TTS15 to get 15% off your goggles, and get a free two-month Effortless Swimming course membership.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.