Changes in Physical Activity across the Lifetime of Current Ultra-Endurance Exercisers

Birkenhead, Karen; Lovell, Geoff P.; Barr, Susan I.; Solomon, Colin

doi:10.12691/jpar-3-1-3

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Studies in the field of sports nutrition have stated that there is a relationship between lifetime ultra-endurance exercise and lifetime vegetable and fruit consumption. Meanwhile, ultra-endurance exercise was negatively related to the Western type of dietary pattern in the 19-30-year age group and positively related to the fruit and vegetable dietary pattern in the 31-45-year age group [50].…”

Section: Association Of Mediterranean Diet With Physical Activitymentioning

confidence: 92%

Dietary Pattern and Its Correlates among Lithuanian Young Adults: Mediterranean Diet Approach

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A poor diet leads to serious health risks and accounts for a significant proportion of deaths. Young adults are the population whose health behaviors particularly need to be studied in terms of nutrition because they are in a period of life when the effects of nutrition accumulate to health outcomes that usually appear later in life in forms of disease or infirmity. The aim of this study is to examine the dietary pattern and its relationships with physical activity and covariates, such as body mass index, gender, age and education among Lithuanian young adults of 18–36 years old. A cross-sectional study was performed among Lithuanian young people aged 18–36 years. Snowball sampling—a non-probability, convenient sampling strategy—was used. In total, data were collected from 3031 study participants: 1723 (56.8%) were male and 1308 (43.2%) were female. The mean age was 23.72 ± 4.80 years. Adherence to a dietary pattern was evaluated using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). Physical activity, height, weight and education data were also gathered. About 7% of young people fully complied with the health-related Mediterranean diet, and one-third had poor compliance. Non-compliance is mostly related to the underconsumption of olive oil, nuts, fish, seafood, legumes and wine, as well as the overconsumption of red meat. The female gender (β = 0.26; p < 0.01), higher education (β = 0.30; p < 0.01) and a sufficient level of physical activity (β = 0.15; p < 0.01) predict a healthier diet. These study results should be considered by nutrition policymakers and public health authorities to improve policies and develop intervention plans for improving the nutrition habits of young adults in order to prevent health-damaging outcomes later in their life.

show abstract

Section: Association Of Mediterranean Diet With Physical Activitymentioning

confidence: 92%

Dietary Pattern and Its Correlates among Lithuanian Young Adults: Mediterranean Diet Approach

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This study includes a subset of participants from a previous study that reported on the lifetime physical activity [4] and diet [55] of current ultra-endurance exercisers. Ultra-endurance exercisers from the previous study were invited via email to take part in the present study.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The details of participant recruitment have been described elsewhere [4]. Briefly, participants were recruited internationally through Facebook, the Ultra Listserve (www.ultra@listserve.dartmouth.edu) and web pages associated with ultra-endurance organizations and events worldwide, including Australia, New Zealand, the United States of America and Canada.…”

Section: Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ultra-endurance exercise involves prolonged periods of physical activity covering a distance of more than the standard marathon (42.195 km) or with a duration greater than 6 hours [1]. The majority of ultra-runners are masters athletes (>35 years) with reported age of participants ranging from 18-81 years [2][3][4]. Currently, men make up the majority of participants in ultra-endurance events, although an increasing number of women participants over the past decade has been reported [5,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Currently, men make up the majority of participants in ultra-endurance events, although an increasing number of women participants over the past decade has been reported [5,6]. Ultra-endurance exercisers tend to be well-educated and show a large range of training and running experiences [2,4]. Worldwide participation in ultra-endurance exercise is increasing, yet there is minimal research on the individuals who engage in this form of physical activity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The relationships of lifetime physical activity and diet with salivary cell telomere length in current ultra-endurance exercisers

Birkenhead

Kuballa

Lovell

et al. 2021

NHA

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BACKGROUND: Physical activity and a healthy diet may delay the aging process and ultra-endurance exercise is an extreme form of physical activity. Telomeres are protective DNA sequences located at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes which shorten as we age. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships of lifetime physical activity and diet with salivary cell telomere length in current ultra-endurance exercisers (n = 49; %female = 37, age range 26–74 years). METHODS: Physical activity and dietary intake were measured using the Lifetime Physical Activity and Diet Questionnaire (LPADQ) and salivary cell telomere length was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: In this group of current ultra-endurance exercisers there was no relationship between lifetime physical activity or diet (according to food category scores) and telomere length. In contrast to the expected age-related decrease in telomere length, there was no relationship between age and telomere length (95%confidence interval [CI]: –38.86, 14.54, p = 0.359) in this group of current ultra-endurance exercisers. CONCLUSIONS: The relationships of lifetime physical activity and diet with telomere length remain uncertain. It is possible that lifetime physical activity (including ultra-endurance exercise) and lifetime diet may independently, or in combination, contribute to a decrease in the rate of age-related telomere shortening in current ultra-endurance exercisers. ultra-endurance exercisers.

show abstract

Mental toughness and self-efficacy of elite ultra-marathon runners

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Minimal research has examined psychological processes underpinning ultra-marathon runners’ performance. This study examined the relationships between mental toughness and self-efficacy with performance in an elite sample of ultra-marathon runners competing in the 2019 Hawaiian Ultra Running Team’s Trail 100-mile endurance run (HURT100). The Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) and the Endurance Sport Self-Efficacy Scale (ESSES) were completed by 56 elite ultra-marathon runners in the HURT100 (38 males, 18 females; M age = 38.86 years, SD age = 9.23). Findings revealed mental toughness and self-efficacy are highly related constructs ( r (54) = 0.72, p < 0.001). Mental toughness and self-efficacy did not significantly relate to ultra-marathon performance (mental toughness and self-efficacy with Ultra-Trail World Tour (UTWT) rank F (2, 53) = 0.738, p = 0.483; mental toughness and self-efficacy with likelihood would finish the HURT100 χ 2 = 0.56, p = 0.756; mental toughness and self-efficacy with HURT100 placing and time F (2, 53) = 1.738, p = 0.186 and F (2, 30) = 2.046, p = 0.147, respectively). However, participants had significantly and meaningfully higher mental toughness ( M = 45.42, SD = 4.26, medium and large effect sizes) than athletes from other sports previously published. Our interpretation is that these results taken in conjunction, suggest a threshold of mental toughness that performers require to be of the standard needed to be able to prepare for and compete in elite ultra-marathon events such as the HURT100; once this mental toughness threshold is met, other factors are likely to be more influential in determining elite level ultra-marathon performance.

show abstract

Changes in Physical Activity across the Lifetime of Current Ultra-Endurance Exercisers

Cited by 4 publications

References 40 publications

Dietary Pattern and Its Correlates among Lithuanian Young Adults: Mediterranean Diet Approach

Dietary Pattern and Its Correlates among Lithuanian Young Adults: Mediterranean Diet Approach

The relationships of lifetime physical activity and diet with salivary cell telomere length in current ultra-endurance exercisers

Mental toughness and self-efficacy of elite ultra-marathon runners

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About