Ultrarunning

This systematic scoping review aimed to understand the extent and scope of evidence on the health risks of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use in marathon and ultraendurance running. NSAIDs are commonly consumed by runners to combat pain and inflammation; however, the health risks of consuming these drugs during marathon and ultrarunning events are currently not fully understood. Four databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, MEDLINE and SPORTDiscus) were searched to identify articles focusing on running events of 26...

The rise of ultraendurance sports in the past two decades warrants evaluation of the impact on the heart and vessels of a growing number of athletes participating. Blood pressure is a simple, inexpensive method to evaluate one dimension of an athlete's cardiovascular health. No systematic review or meta-analysis to date has chronicled and delineated the effects of ultraendurance races, such as ultramarathons, marathons, half-marathons, and Ironman triathlon events, specifically on heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure (PP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) measurements in supine and standing positions before and after the event...

Ultrarunning requires extraordinary endurance but the psychological factors involved in successful ultrarunning are not well understood. One widely held view is that fluctuations in mood play a pivotal role in performance during endurance events. However, this view is primarily based on comparisons of mood before and after marathons and shorter running events. Indeed, to date no study has explicitly examined mood changes during a competive ultramarathon. To address this issue, we measured mood fluctuations in athletes competing in the Hardmoors 60, a 100 km, single day continuous trail-ultramarathon, and examined how variation in mood related to performance, as measured by completion time...

This case study describes the nutrition plans, intakes and experiences of five ultra-marathon runners who completed the Marathon des Sables in 2011 and 2013; age 37 (28-43) y, height 184 (180-190) cm, body mass 77.5 (71-85.5) kg, marathon personal best 3:08 (2:40-3:32). MdS is a 7-day, six-stage ultra-running stage race held in the Sahara Desert (total distance of timed stages 1-5 was 233.2 km in 2011, 223.4 km in 2013). Competitors are required to carry all equipment and food (except water) for the race duration, a minimum of 8,360 kJ/day and total pack weight of 6...

BACKGROUND: Of the anthropometry and training variables used to predict race performance in a 24-hour ultrarun, the personal best marathon time is the strongest predictor in recreational male 24-hour ultramarathoners. This finding raises the question of whether similarities exist between male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and male recreational marathoners. METHODS: The association between age, anthropometric variables (ie, body mass, body height, body mass index, percent body fat, skeletal muscle mass, limb circumference, and skinfold thickness at the pectoral, mid axillary, triceps, subscapular, abdominal, suprailiac, front thigh, and medial calf sites), previous experience and training characteristics (ie, volume, speed, and personal best time), and race time for 79 male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and 126 male recreational marathoners was investigated using bivariate and multivariate analysis...

Ultramarathon running is increasingly popular. An ultramarathon is defined as a running event involving distances longer than the length of a traditional marathon of 42.195 km. In ultramarathon races, ~80% of the finishers are men. Ultramarathoners are typically ~45 y old and achieve their fastest running times between 30 and 49 y for men, and between 30 and 54 y for women. Most probably, ultrarunners start with a marathon before competing in an ultramarathon. In ultramarathoners, the number of previously completed marathons is significantly higher than the number of completed marathons in marathoners...

CONTEXT: Gastrointestinal (GI) distress is common during ultrarunning. PURPOSE: To determine if race diet is related to GI distress in a 161-km ultramarathon. METHODS: Fifteen (10 male, 5 female) consenting runners in the Javelina Jundred (6.5 loops on a desert trail) participated. Body mass was measured immediately prerace and after each loop. Runners reported if they had nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and/or diarrhea after each loop...

Located at the end of chromosomes, telomeres are progressively shortened with each replication of DNA during aging. Integral to the regulation of telomere length is a group of proteins making up the shelterin complex, whose tissue-specific function during physiological stress is not well understood. In this study, we examine the mRNA and protein levels of proteins within and associated with the shelterin complex in subjects (n = 8, mean age = 44 yr) who completed a physiological stress of seven marathons in 7 days...

Ultrarunners participate in running events that exceed the 26.2-mile marathon distance (e.g., 50k, 50-100 miles). Very little research exists on ultrarunners, especially women. This study is a descriptive study detailing the motivation, goal orientation, demographic characteristics (e.g., age, job demands, family structure), training habits (e.g., hours per week of training), and coach utilization of women ultrarunners. Participants (N = 344) were recruited via the Ultra List serve and 4 popular ultrarunning websites, and they completed a questionnaire on motivation, goal orientation, training, and coaching using Survey Monkey...

Krouse, RZ, Ransdell, LB, Lucas, SM, and Pritchard, ME. Motivation, goal orientation, coaching, and training habits of women ultrarunners. J Strength Cond Res 25(X): 000-000, 2011-Ultrarunners participate in running events that exceed the 26.2-mile marathon distance (e.g., 50k, 50-100 miles). Very little research exists on ultrarunners, especially women. This study is a descriptive study detailing the motivation, goal orientation, demographic characteristics (e.g., age, job demands, family structure), training habits (e...