Personality of marathon runners: a narrative review of recent findings.

Participation in marathons has dramatically increased over the last few years. Marathon running has many proven beneficial effects, especially on cardiovascular health and fitness. Most research has focused on physiologic and pathophysiologic adaptations in connection with endurance exercise. Nevertheless, marathon running also has a major impact on psychological aspects and positively influences mental health, which has only recently attracted research interest. The present narrative review aimed to review the personality traits of marathon runners with an emphasis on recent literature. Marathon runners show a distinct personality and highly characteristic personality traits needed to successfully finish such a demanding race, i.e., a strong sense of vigor, self-sufficiency, and intelligence as well as low scores in anger, fatigue, tension, and depression. Furthermore, personality differences are detectable between runners of different sexes, ages, and performance level groups. This has significant clinical implications for athletes, coaches and competition organizers, as these groups show different patterns of personality traits. Future studies should focus on changes in cognition and mood states pre-, during, and post-endurance events, as well as during training periods. Large-scale studies comparing personality differences by sex, age, and performance are also important for better clinical guidance. See also the graphical abstract(Fig. 1).

Analysis of over 1 million race records shows runners from East African countries as the fastest in 50-km ultra-marathons.

The 50-km ultra-marathon is a popular race distance, slightly longer than the classic marathon distance. However, little is known about the country of affiliation and age of the fastest 50-km ultra-marathon runners and where the fastest races are typically held. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate a large dataset of race records for the 50-km distance race to identify the country of affiliation and the age of the fastest runners as well as the locations of the fastest races. A total of 1,398,845 50-km race records (men, n = 1,026,546; women, n = 372,299) were analyzed using both descriptive statistics and advanced regression techniques. This study revealed significant trends in the performance of 50-km ultra-marathoners. The fastest 50-km runners came from African countries, while the fastest races were found to occur in Europe and the Middle East. Runners from Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, and Kenya were the fastest in this race distance. The fastest 50-km racecourses, providing ideal conditions for faster race times, are in Europe (Luxembourg, Belarus, and Lithuania) and the Middle East (Qatar and Jordan). Surprisingly, the fastest ultra-marathoners in the 50-km distance were found to fall into the age group of 20-24 years, challenging the conventional belief that peak ultra-marathon performance comes in older age groups. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the performance models in 50-km ultra-marathons and can serve as valuable insights for runners, coaches, and race organizers in optimizing training strategies and racecourse selection.

Ultra-Cycling- Past, Present, Future: A Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Ultra-endurance events are gaining popularity in multiple exercise disciplines, including cycling. With increasing numbers of ultra-cycling events, aspects influencing participation and performance are of interest to the cycling community. MAIN BODY: The aim of this narrative review was, therefore, to assess the types of races offered, the characteristics of the cyclists, the fluid and energy balance during the race, the body mass changes after the race, and the parameters that may enhance performance based on existing literature. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar using the search terms 'ultracycling', 'ultra cycling', 'ultra-cycling', 'ultra-endurance biking', 'ultra-bikers' and 'prolonged cycling'. The search yielded 948 results, of which 111 were relevant for this review. The studies were classified according to their research focus and the results were summarized. The results demonstrated changes in physiological parameters, immunological and oxidative processes, as well as in fluid and energy balance. While the individual race with the most published studies was the Race Across America, most races were conducted in Europe, and a trend for an increase in European participants in international races was observed. Performance seems to be affected by characteristics such as age and sex but not by anthropometric parameters such as skin fold thickness. The optimum age for the top performance was around 40 years. Most participants in ultra-cycling events were male, but the number of female athletes has been increasing over the past years. Female athletes are understudied due to their later entry and less prominent participation in ultra-cycling races. A post-race energy deficit after ultra-cycling events was observed. CONCLUSION: Future studies need to investigate the causes for the observed optimum race age around 40 years of age as well as the optimum nutritional supply to close the observed energy gap under consideration of the individual race lengths and conditions. Another research gap to be filled by future studies is the development of strategies to tackle inflammatory processes during the race that may persist in the post-race period.

Cycling is the most important predictive split discipline in professional Ironman® 70.3 triathletes.

Introduction: Our study examined 16,611 records of professional triathletes from 163 Ironman® 70.3 races across 97 countries (2004-2020). The aim was to identify the most predictive discipline-swim, bike, or run-for overall race time. Methods: We used correlation matrices to compare the dependent variable "finish time" with independent variables "swim time," "bike time," and "run time." This analysis was conducted separately for male and female athletes. Additionally, univariate and multiple linear regression models assessed the strength of these associations. Results: The results indicated that "bike time" had the strongest correlation with finish time (0.85), followed by "run time" (0.75 for females, 0.82 for males) and "swim time" (0.46 for females, 0.63 for males). Regression models confirmed "bike time" as the strongest predictor of overall race time (R² = 0.8), with "run time" and "swim time" being less predictive. Discussion: The study concludes that in Ironman 70.3 races, "bike time" is the most significant predictor of overall race performance for both sexes, suggesting a focus on cycling in training and competition strategies. It also highlights a smaller performance gap between genders in swimming than in cycling or running.

What are the correlates of intention to be physically active in Brazilian adolescents? A network analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to explore the association of individual characteristics, social and environmental factors - school and region - in the intention to be physically active in Brazilian adolescents. METHODS: This is a cross sectional study based on the third edition of the National School Health Survey. The study included a total of 53,937 adolescents. To assess the intention to be physically active, only who engaged in less than 300 min of physical activity per week were included. Participants were asked: "If you had the opportunity to practice physical activity most days of the week, what would your attitude be?" Individual characteristics, physical activity domains, social factors, school, and regional environments were used as exposures. Network analysis was utilized to evaluate the associations. RESULTS: We observed that boys had higher intentions to be physically active compared to their peers, as did adolescents who perceived themselves as fat. In addition, students from private schools show a higher intention to regularly engage in physical activities, and in general, private schools offer more extracurricular physical activities. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, individual factors such as sex and body image perception, and environmental factors such as school administrative dependency and availability of extracurricular activities had a significant contribution to the intention to be physically active among Brazilian adolescents.

Relação entre indicadores de risco à saúde e componentes do somatótipo consoante atividade física em crianças / Relación entre indicadores de riesgo para la salud y componentes del somatótipo según la actividad física en niños / Relationship between health risk indicators and somatotype components according to physical activity in children

Este estudo analisou a relação entre indicadores de risco à saúde e as componentes do somatótipo consoante os níveis de atividade física em crianças. Trata-se de uma pesquisa epidemiológica de base escolar, composta por 168 crianças (6 a 11 anos) de ambos os sexos. Informações demográficas foram obtidas. Avaliações antropométricas (estatura; massa corporal; pregas de adiposidade subcutânea; perímetros do braço contraído, cintura, quadril e panturrilha), pressão arterial sistólica e diastólica, e atividade física (ativo; inativo) foram mensuradas. O somatótipo, razão cintura-quadril e razão cintura-estatura foram calculados. Análise de comparação, correlação e regressão linear múltipla foram realizadas, considerando intervalo de confiança de 95%. Meninos apresentaram maior número de passos, razão cintura-quadril e cintura-estatura. Crianças ativas eram mais velhas, possuíam maior perímetro de cintura, quadril e pressão arterial sistólica. No grupo fisicamente ativo, o sexo esteve associado diretamente ao perímetro de cintura e razão cintura-estatura, enquanto a idade associou-se com a perímetro de quadril e pressão arterial diastólica. Nas crianças inativas, todas as variáveis preditoras (exceto para a variável sexo em relação ao perímetro de quadril) mostraram-se significativas para o perímetro da cintura e quadril, explicando, conjuntamente, ~83% e 85% da expressão destas variáveis, respectivamente. A relação entre indicadores de risco à saúde e as componentes do somatótipo foi maior em crianças inativas. Independentemente do nível de atividade física, a endomorfia mostrou relação significativa com os componentes de saúde, com maior efeito no grupo inativo, tendo em vista a associação com a composição corporal dos sujeitos.

Este estudio analizó la relación entre indicadores de riesgo para la salud y los componentes del somatótipo según los niveles de actividad física en niños. Se trata de una investigación epidemiológica, compuesta por 168 niños (6 a 11 años) de ambos sexos. Fueron mensuradas: evaluaciones antropométricas (estatura; masa corporal; pliegues de adiposidad subcutánea; perímetros del brazo contraído, cintura, cuadril y pantorrilla), presión arterial sistólica y diastólica, y actividad física (activo/inactivo); el somatótipo, a través del cálculo de: razón cintura-cuadril y razón cintura-estatura. Se realizó el análisis de comparación, correlación y regresión lineal múltiple, considerando intervalo de confianza del 95%. Los niños presentaron mayor número de pasos, razón cintura-cuadril y cintura-estatura. Los niños activos eran mayores, tenían mayor perímetro de cintura, cuadril y presión arterial sistólica. En el grupo físicamente activo, el sexo estuvo asociado directamente al perímetro de cintura y razón cintura-estatura, mientras que la edad se asoció con el perímetro de cuadril y presión arterial diastólica. En los niños inactivos, todas las variables predictoras (excepto para la variable sexo con relación al perímetro de cuadril) se mostraron significativas para el perímetro de la cintura y cuadril, explicando, conjuntamente, ~83% y 85% de la expresión de estas variables, respectivamente. La relación entre indicadores de riesgo para la salud y los componentes del somatotipo fue mayor en niños inactivos. Independientemente del nivel de actividad física, la endomorfia mostró una relación significativa con los componentes de salud, con mayor efecto en el grupo inactivo, con vistas a la asociación con la composición corporal de los sujetos.

This study analysed the relationship between health risk indicators and somatotype components according to physical activity levels in children. This epidemiological and school-based research comprised 168 children of both sexes (56% boys), aged between 6 to 11 years. Demographic information (sex, age) was obtained. Anthropometric information (body height; body mass; contracted arm, waist, hip, and calf circumferences), body composition (subcutaneous adiposity and somatotype), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and physical activity level (active; inactive) were measured. The waist-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio were computed. Comparison, correlation, and multiple linear regression analysis were performed, considering 95% of the confidence interval. Boys presented higher values for physical activity, waist-hip, and waist-to-height ratio. Active children were older, had a larger waist and hip circumference, and higher systolic blood pressure. Among the active group, sex was associated with waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio, while age was associated with hip circumference and diastolic blood pressure. Among inactive children, all predictors (except for sex for hip circumference) were significantly associated with waist and hip circumferences, explaining ≅83% and 85% of the expression of these variables, respectively. The relationship between health risk indicators and somatotype components was higher among inactive children. Regardless of the physical activity level, the endomorphic component shows a significant relationship with health components, with a higher effect among the inactive group, considering the body composition association.

Physical activity in outdoor spaces, sleep quality and general health: a pilot feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity and nature exposure provide health benefits. This study aimed to test the feasibility of an intervention designed to examine the effects of environmental quality on physical activity, sleep, and health status. METHODS: In this pilot feasibility study, we included 14 inactive adults from Limerick (Ireland) and Lahti (Finland), recruited using social media. The intervention was an 8-week self-guided programme of physical activity, in which participants were asked to select an outdoor route according to their convenience, engage in physical activity (walking or running) at least three times a week for at least 30 min/session, and record each session using a mobile app. Participants were provided with training sheets, self-adapted according to convenience, in an in-person meeting when detailed information was provided. Reminder messages were sent during the intervention. Time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was measured through an accelerometer over a 9-day measurement period (considering the 50th percentile: >P50, ≤P50). Sleep quality and general health status were self-reported. Measurements were taken in weeks 1 and 8. We analysed differences, between MVPA percentile groups and general sample, in change from week 1 to 8, using χ2 and paired t-tests, with significance at p values lower than 0·05. The study was approved by the ethics committee from the University of Limerick and Satakunta Universities. FINDINGS: 26 adults were enrolled in the study between Oct 3, 2022, and Feb 9, 2023, of whom 18 (69%) were women and eight (31%) were men, with a mean age of 46 years (SD 9·7). 14 (54%) of 26 adults completed the 8-week intervention, of whom 11 were women and three were men, with a mean age of 46 years (SD 10·79). On average, participants performed their training sessions 19 times (mean 19·2, SD 9·4). Mean time in MVPA decreased from 49·7 min (SD 27·0) at week 1 to 46·7 min (32·3) at week 8 (p=0·604); mean health status score increased from 66·43 (SD 26·63) to 68·57 (26·63; p=0·586); and the frequency of good sleepers increased from 50% to 64·3% (p=0·266). In both moments, participants classified in the higher MVPA percentile group (>P50) presented higher mean health status score and higher frequency of good sleepers then those in the lower percentile group (≤P50), although the differences were not significant. INTERPRETATION: Study limitations include the absence of a control group and the sample size. Although results were not significant, they were promising, since it might be an easy and low-cost strategy to increase physical activity with potential impact on public health. Lessons learned led to changes in the design, and a larger multicentre study will be carried out to understand the relationship of the variables in groups performing physical activity in green and "paved" spaces. FUNDING: European Union's Horizon 2020.

Impacts of different triathlon races on systemic cytokine profile and metabolic parameters in healthy individuals: a systematic review.

The present systematic review aimed to discuss the impacts of different triathlon protocols on the level of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines, as well as biomarkers related to the performance of healthy individuals. Four databases [PubMed (28 articles), Scopus (24 articles), Science Direct (200 articles), and SPORT Discus (1101 articles) were assessed. The eligibility criteria were applied, and the selected articles were used in the peer review, independently, as they were identified by March 2022. Of the 1359 articles found, 10 were included in this systematic review. Despite the difference in triathlon protocols, it was observed an increase in pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines including IL-4 and IL-10, and chemokines, such as IL-8 and MCP-1. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory serum levels increase after triathlon. Overall, the studies also reported enhancement in the serum levels of cortisol, creatine kinase, C reactive protein, Endothelial Growth Factor, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Myostatin, Lactate dehydrogenase, free fatty acids, and lactate dehydrogenase in triathlon athletes. This systematic review indicates that different triathlon race promotes an acute elevation of circulating cytokines and chemokines levels which return to standard levels after triathlon races. The findings of this systematic review demonstrate that the modulation of inflammatory parameters may be associated with an increase in metabolic indicators (CK, Cortisol, and LDH) after the end of different types of triathlon races.

Comparative Study of the Long-Term Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Nutritional Practices Among International Elite and Sub-Elite Athletes: A Sample of 1420 Participants from 14 Countries.

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have shown that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown has had negative impacts on mental health and eating behaviors among the general population and athletes, few studies have examined the long-term effects on elite and sub-elite athletes. The present study aimed to investigate the long-term impact of COVID-19 lockdown on mental health and eating behaviors in elite versus sub-elite athletes two years into the pandemic. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted between March and April 2022, involving athletes from 14 countries, using a convenient non-probabilistic and snowball sampling method. A total of 1420 athletes (24.5 ± 7.9 years old, 569 elites, 35% women, and 851 sub-elites, 45% women) completed an online survey-based questionnaire. The questionnaire included a sociodemographic survey, information about the COVID-19 pandemic, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21) for mental health assessment, and the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants (REAP-S) for assessing eating behavior. RESULTS: The results showed that compared to sub-elite athletes, elite athletes had lower scores on the DASS-21 (p = .001) and its subscales of depression (p = .003), anxiety (p = .007), and stress (p < .001), as well as a lower REAP-S score indicating lower diet quality (p = .013). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, two years into the pandemic, elite athletes were likelier to have better mental health profiles than sub-elite athletes but surprisingly had lower diet quality.

The subject-environment interplay between runners from different Brazilian macro-regions.

Purpose: Our purpose was to investigate the interplay between runners and their environment using a network approach. Methods: This cross-sectional study sampled Brazilian runners of both sexes, from the five macro-regions of the country. An electronic questionnaire was used to obtain information regarding age, sex, training volume, socio-economic level, place of residence, and running pace. Environmental indicators (public illumination, pavement, sidewalk, and green areas) were collected from available public information. Descriptive statistics were presented in mean (SD), and frequency (%). A network analysis was performed to evaluate the association between individual and environmental characteristics. Statistical analyses were performed in the JASP, considering p < 0.05. Results: At North and Mid-West regions, public illumination presents the highest values for the expected influence (1.74 and 1.56), while in Northeast and Southeast, sidewalks present the highest values (2.13; 0.91). For betweenness centrality, in North, Northeast, and Mid-West regions, residency in the capital of a state presented a hub. In contrast, pavement, and training volume present higher values in the South and Southeast. Network topologies are different. Conclusion: Public illumination (North and Mid-West) and sidewalk (Northeast, Southeast) were the most important variables for runners. Continental size countries need specific approaches to improve physical activity levels and health outcomes that consider the cultural, historical, and environmental background.

Differences in race history by distance of recreational endurance runners from The NURMI Study (Step 2).

Few studies were developed to understand the relationship between running characteristics and motivation. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between running event history, running experience, and best race performances in recreational distance runners. We used a web survey to obtain information regarding running experience, racing history, and periodization training routines/exercise habits, including weekly volumes and daily mileage and duration across periods and conditions. Associations between variables were conducted with the Chi-square test (χ2; nominal scale) and Wilcoxon test. Multiple linear regression analysis and multivariate linear regression were performed. Concerning the participants' motive for exercising, a significant difference was identified between the race distance subgroups (p < 0.001), where 58% of M/UM runners exercised for performance (n = 38) and 64% of HM runners (n = 57) and 57% of 10 km runners (n = 52) exercised for recreational purposes. A significant difference was found in the number of years of running completed without taking a break (p = 0.004), with marathoners/ultramarathoners reporting the most years. Runners competing in different race distances such as 10 km, half-marathon, marathon, and ultra-marathon presented differences in training background and habits according to the distance of preference.

The frequency and performance trends of European countries in the U18 and U20 rankings for 1500 m and 3000 m between 2009-2020.

We purpose to determine the nationality of the European middle-distance athletes under 18 years (U18) and under 20 years (U20) during the last decade, to verify the participation trend for each country, and to assess whether the place of competition can be associated with the athletes ranking position. The sample comprised 902 European male runners, ranked among the best finishers from 2009 to 2020. The athletes were divided into two categories (nU18 â€‹= â€‹266; and nU20 â€‹= â€‹636) of two distances (n1 500 â€‹m â€‹= â€‹397; n3 000 â€‹m â€‹= â€‹505). The Mantel test was used for participation trend and the Chi-square test (χ2) was used to verify differences between the ranking position and the place of competition. For both distances, the highest number of athletes were from Spain (n = 127), followed by Turkey (n = 62) and Great Britain (n = 50). No significant trends were shown for most of the countries, in both distances. A positive trend was shown for Slovenia (i.e., 3000 â€‹m) over the years. A non-significant association was verified between the countries and the ranking position, as non-significant differences were proved for the place of competition. This information may be useful to guide athlete development programs in each country.

Beyond the border of the athlete-centered approach: a model to understand runners' performance.

Our purpose is to move beyond the borders of the athlete-centered approach by examining the runners' environment interplay as a key factor for performance. Based on the ecological systems theory, the micro-level (intrapersonal, interpersonal, and training characteristics), meso-level (a direct association with athletes is not observed, but the environment plays an influence on the relationships built at the micro-level), and macro-level (contextual features that influence athletic systems) were theorized and contextualized as important factors for the expression of different outcomes, including performance and participation. We also conceptualized the microtime, mesotime, and macrotime as a constraint. Through this model, we aimed to provide applications and conclusions about how this conceptual model provides advances in the scientific research field. By understanding how environmental factors influence their performance, runners can make informed decisions about where and how to train and compete. Furthermore, by recognizing the role of culture and social context in shaping runners' experiences and outcomes, we can work toward creating a more equitable and supportive running culture for all.

Performance and pacing of professional IRONMAN triathletes: the fastest IRONMAN World Championship ever-IRONMAN Hawaii 2022.

Pacing during cycling and running in an IRONMAN triathlon has been investigated in only one study with elite IRONMAN triathletes. We have, however, no knowledge of how professional triathletes pace during an IRONMAN World Championship. To investigate the split-by-split speed, pacing strategies and pacing variability in professional female and male IRONMAN World Championship participants in the fastest IRONMAN World Championship ever in IRONMAN Hawaii 2022. For both cycling and running, 25 specific split times were recorded in each discipline. The best 30 men and 30 women overall were chosen from the official IRONMAN website database for further analysis. They were divided into three performance groups: Top 10, 11-20th place, and 21st-30th place. Mean speed, individual linear regressions with the corresponding correlation coefficients, and coefficient of variation were calculated to assess split-by-split speed, pacing strategies, and pacing variability, respectively. In both men's and women's cycling and running segments, the top ten participants exhibited faster split times compared to the slower performance groups. Notably, no discernible differences existed between the 11-20th and 21st-30th place in men's cycling and women's running times. Conversely, in men's running and women's cycling segments, those in the 11-20th place displayed quicker times than those in the 21st-30th place. In the cycling segment across all groups, men demonstrated a more negative pacing pattern (indicating an increase in speed), whereas women exhibited more consistent pacing. In the running segment, the top 10 men and all women's groups showcased relatively similar slightly positive pacing profiles. However, men ranking 11-20th and 21st-30th displayed more pronounced positive pacing strategies, implying a more significant decline in speed over time. In terms of cycling, the variability in pacing remained relatively consistent across the three performance groups. Conversely, during the running segment, the top ten male triathletes and those in the 11-20th place displayed lower pacing variability than their counterparts in the 21st-30th position place and all women's groups. In summary, performance and pacing were examined in professional male and female IRONMAN World Championship participants during IRONMAN Hawaii 2022. Top performers showed faster cycling and running split times, with differences in pacing strategies between sexes. The pacing was more consistent in cycling, while running pacing varied more, particularly among male triathletes in different performance groups.

Comparing the Performance Gap Between Males and Females in the Older Age Groups in IRONMAN® 70.3: An Internet-Based Cross-Sectional Study of More Than 800,000 Race Records.

BACKGROUND: The sex difference in the three split disciplines (swimming, cycling, and running) and overall race times in triathlon races has mainly been investigated for the Olympic distance and IRONMAN® triathlon formats, but not for the half IRONMAN® distance, i.e., the IRONMAN® 70.3. The aim of the present study was to investigate the sex differences in IRONMAN® 70.3 by age group in 5-year intervals for the split disciplines of this race. Data from 823,459 records (625,393 males and 198,066 females) of all age group finishers (in 5-year intervals) competing in all official IRONMAN® 70.3 races held worldwide between 2004 and 2020 were analyzed, and sex differences by age group and split disciplines were evaluated. RESULTS: Males were faster than females in all split disciplines and all age groups. The sex difference was lower in swimming than in cycling and running and less pronounced for triathletes between 20 and 50 years of age. After the age of 60 years, females were able to reduce the sex difference to males in swimming and cycling, but not in running, where the reduction in the sex difference started after the age of 70 years. The lowest sex difference was in the age group 75 + years for swimming and cycling and in the age group 30-34 years for running. Across age groups, the sex difference was U-shaped in swimming and running, with an increase after 18-24 years in swimming and after 40-44 years in running. In contrast, the sex difference decreased continuously with the increasing age for cycling. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the study found that the sex difference in performance decreases with age in the IRONMAN® 70.3 race distance. However, females did not outperform males at older ages. Notably, sex differences were observed across different disciplines, with swimming displaying lower differences compared to cycling and running. These findings underscore the complex interplay between age, sex, and performance in endurance sports, emphasizing the need for additional research to understand the factors influencing these differences.

Mental Health in Ultra-Endurance Runners: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Among ultra-endurance runners (UER), the mental, behavioral, and physical demands of training/competition can result in maladaptive outcomes. Mental health issues are common in athletes and can impact psychology, physical health, and performance. OBJECTIVE: To synthesize information regarding the incidence/prevalence and factors associated with mental health issues among UER. METHODS: Systematic searches were performed in PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, Cochrane databases, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Medline Ovid using key terms related to UER (e.g., trail running, road running) and psychological issues (e.g., exercise addiction, depression). Inclusion criteria included original articles published in peer-reviewed journals in English, using qualitative or quantitative approaches. We considered papers reporting incidence/prevalence and associated factors with mental health outcomes in UER of both sexes, all ages, and levels of competition (e.g., elite, nonprofessional runners). The Joanna Briggs Institute Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies critical appraisal tool was used for quality assessment. RESULTS: A total of 282 studies were identified, and 11 studies were included in the final selection. A total of 3670 UER were included in the studies. The prevalence of mental health issues among UER ranged between 32.0% and 62.5% for eating disorders, from 11.5% to 18.2% for exercise addiction, 18.6% for depressive symptoms, and 24.5% for sleep disturbance. Exercise addiction was not related to weekly volume, but a strong relationship with exercise in an unstructured space, age, and body mass index was shown. CONCLUSION: Mental health issues among UER are common, especially eating disorders, exercise addiction, sleep disturbances, and depressive symptoms. Further high-quality studies are needed to examine underlying factors and find preventative strategies to protect UER. REGISTRATION: The protocol of this systematic review was registered at the PROSPERO-CRD42022338743.

Pacing Variation in Multistage Ultramarathons: Internet-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Ultramarathon running is the most popular ultraendurance competition in terms of the number of races and runners competing annually worldwide; however, no study has compared pacing and performance over a long period. OBJECTIVE: This study analyzes the pacing of successful finishers and nonfinishers in multistage ultramarathons worldwide. METHODS: A total of 4079 athletes (men=3288; women=791) competing in 99 multistage ultramarathon events from 1983 to 2021 were analyzed, including the number of participants, age, gender, rank, and running speed of successful finishers. RESULTS: The results showed a significant increase in the number of events (n=338) and a significant increase in the number of finishers and nonfinishers (n=5575) in the ultramarathons worldwide during this period. The general linear models (GLMs) of pacing variation showed nonsignificant effects for gender (F1,36.2=2.5; P=.127; ηp2=0.063) and age group (F10,10=0.6; P=.798; ηp2=0.367), but it showed a significant interaction (gender × age) effect (F10,2689=2.3; P=.008; ηp2=0.009). Post hoc analyses showed that men have a higher pacing variation than women in the under 30 years (U30), U35, U45, and U50 groups. Additionally, the fastest women's age group (U35) had the lowest pacing variation. The GLM of pacing variation by gender and event distance showed significant effects for both gender (F1,3=18.5; P<.001; ηp2=0.007) and distance (F2,3=20.1; P<.001; ηp2=0.015). Post hoc analyses showed a growing pacing variation with increasing race distance for both men and women. In addition, men had a higher variation in long events. Furthermore, there was a significant main effect for both genders (F1,3=33.7; P<.001; ηp2=0.012) and rank (F1,3=136.6; P<.001; ηp2=0.048) on performance, with men being faster than women. Pacing varied greatly due to gender (F1,3=4.0; P=.047; ηp2=0.001), with a lower (ie, more even) pacing variation for male athletes in the top 3 finishers. Male nonfinishers showed a higher performance than female nonfinishers (F1,1340=25.6; P<.001), and no difference was identified for pacing variation (F1,789=1.5; P=.228) based on gender. In addition, a weak but significant correlation (r=-0.130; P<.001) was identified between the average running speed and pacing variation for both female and male nonfinishers. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, multistage ultramarathon competitions showed an increasing number of competitors and a higher performance challenge. Men have a higher pacing (ie, less even) variation than women, especially observed in longer events. A higher pacing variation was associated with lower performance for men, women, and nonfinishers.

Elderly female ultra-marathoners reduced the gap to male ultra-marathoners in Swiss running races.

Recent studies showed that female runners reduced the performance gap to male runners in endurance running with increasing age and race distance. However, the investigated samples were generally small. To investigate this further, the present study examined sex differences by age across various race distances (5, 10 km, half-marathon, marathon, and ultra-marathon) using a large dataset of over 1,100,000 race records from Switzerland over two decades (1999-2019). The study explored performance and participation disparities between male and female runners by employing diverse methods, such as descriptive statistics, histograms, scatter and line plots, correlations, and a predictive machine learning model. The results showed that female runners were more prevalent in shorter races (5, 10 km, half-marathon) and outnumbered male runners in 5 km races. However, as the race distance increased, the male-to-female ratio declined. Notably, the performance gap between sexes reduced with age until 70 years, after which it varied depending on the race distance. Among participants over 75 years old, ultra-marathon running exhibited the smallest sex difference in performance. Elderly female ultra-marathoners (75 years and older) displayed a performance difference of less than 4% compared to male ultra-marathoners, which may be attributed to the presence of highly selected outstanding female performers.

The birthplace and relative age effects in Brazilian olympic athletes: a cross-national comparison.

Purpose: Our purpose was to verify the existence of birthplace and relative age effect (RAE), as well as the association between birthplace effect and RAE among Brazilian athletes competing in the Olympic Games. Methods: Data included information about Brazilian Summer Olympic athletes from 1920 to 2021. To investigate RAE, athletes' birthdate was distributed into birth quartiles (Q1: Jan-Mar; Q2: Apr-Jun; Q3: Jul-Sep; Q4: Oct-Dec), while birthplace effect was assessed considering the state and the region (Southeast; Northeast; South; North; and Midwest) of birth. The Chi-square test (χ2) was used to verify differences between the birthplace effect and RAE. Results: The sample consisted of 388 Brazilian athletes of both sexes, distributed in 38 sports modalities from 23 Brazilian states (Southeast = 66.5%; South = 14.4%; Northeast = 12.1%; North = 1.5%; Midwest = 5.4%). For both sexes, most of the athletes were from the São Paulo state (37.4%), followed by Rio de Janeiro (18.3%), both from the Southeast region. For birthdate distribution according to birthplace, it was observed that the North region presented the highest frequency of athletes born in Q1 (50%), followed by the Northeast and Southeast regions. No significant differences were found for the birthplace effect (χ2 = 5.69, value of p = 0.128) and RAE between sexes (χ2 = 0.530, value of p = 0.912), nor was shown an association between the birthplace effect and RAE. Conclusion: Most Brazilian Olympic athletes are from the Southeast region, but no RAE was established regarding their birthplace. Results from the present study can guide sports public policies in Brazilian regions, especially in the Midwest, North, and Northeast regions, which are underrepresented in Brazilian high-performance sports.

Predicting overall performance in Ironman 70.3 age group triathletes through split disciplines.

Knowing which discipline contributes most to a triathlon performance is important to plan race pacing properly. To date, we know that the running split is the most decisive discipline in the Olympic distance triathlon, and the cycling split is the most important discipline in the full-distance Ironman® triathlon. However, we have no knowledge of the Ironman® 70.3. This study intended to determine the most crucial discipline in age group athletes competing from 2004 to 2020 in a total of 787 Ironman® 70.3 races. A total of 823,459 athletes (198,066 women and 625,393 men) from 240 different countries were analyzed and recorded in 5-year age groups, from 18 to 75 + years. Correlation analysis, multiple linear regression, and two-way ANOVA were applied, considering p < 0.05. No differences in the regression analysis between the contributions of the swimming, cycling, and running splits could be found for all age groups. However, the correlation analysis showed stronger associations of the cycling and running split times than the swimming split times with overall race times and a smaller difference in swimming performance between males and females in age groups 50 years and older. For age group triathletes competing in Ironman® 70.3, running and cycling were more predictive than swimming for overall race performance. There was a progressive reduction in the performance gap between men and women aged 50 years and older. This information may aid triathletes and coaches in planning their race tactics in an Ironman® 70.3 race.