Physiological and Training Profiles of Ultramarathoners

Thompson, W. R.; Nequin, Noel D.; Lesmes, George R.; Garfield, Douglas S.

doi:10.1080/00913847.1982.11947223

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…On the other hand, they offer practical information for the sports medicine team working with ultra-endurance athletes to develop optimal nutritional strategies in order to counterbalance the energy deficit. The training characteristics of the participant were in agreement with those reported in previous studies on finishers in 50 miles (60–96 miles weekly) [25], 107 km run (max 260 km weekly) [26] and 24-hour run (81 km weekly) [27]. Furthermore, the results highlight the need for further research on the chronic adaptations to training in ultra-endurance athletes since most previous studies have focused on acute effects of a race on physiological parameters [27,28,29].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Training and Body Composition during Preparation for a 48-Hour Ultra-Marathon Race: A Case Study of a Master Athlete

Nikolaidis¹,

Knechtle

Ramírez‐Campillo

et al. 2019

IJERPH

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Although the acute effects of ultra-endurance exercise on body composition have been well studied, limited information exists about the chronic adaptations of body composition to ultra-endurance training. The aim of the present study was to examine the day-by-day variation of training and body composition of a master athlete during the preparation for a 48-hour ultra-marathon race. For all training sessions (n = 73) before the race, the running distance, duration, and pace were recorded, and body mass, body fat (BF), body water (%), visceral fat, fat-free mass (FFM), four circumferences (i.e., waist, upper arm, thigh and calf), and eight skinfolds (i.e., chest, mid-axilla, triceps, subscapular, abdomen, iliac crest, thigh and calf) were measured accordingly in a 53-year-old experienced ultra-endurance athlete (body mass 80.1 kg, body height 177 cm, body mass index 25.6 kg·m−2). The main findings of the present study were that (a) the training plan of the ultra-endurance master athlete followed a periodization pattern with regard to exercise intensity and training volume, which increased over time, (b) the body mass, BF, and FFM decreased largely during the first 30 training sessions, and (c) the circumferences and skinfolds reflected the respective decrease in BF. The findings of this case study provided useful information about the variation of training and body composition during the preparation for an ultra-marathon race in a male master ultra-marathoner. The preparation for an ultra-endurance race seems to induce pronounced changes in body mass and body composition.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Training and Body Composition during Preparation for a 48-Hour Ultra-Marathon Race: A Case Study of a Master Athlete

Nikolaidis¹,

Knechtle

Ramírez‐Campillo

et al. 2019

IJERPH

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“…An ultra-marathon leads to a great energetic demand (Thompson et al, 1982 ; Stuempfle et al, 2011 ). In a 24-h ultra-marathon, runners were only able to maintain their running speed for the first 6 h, after which they slowed continuously down (Gimenez et al, 2013 ).…”

Section: Energetic Requirements In Ultra-marathon Runningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is believed that elevated cholesterol is a cardiovascular risk factor with an increased morbidity and mortality. An ultra-marathon could be beneficial for reducing elevated cholesterol (Thompson et al, 1982 ; Kaminsky et al, 1988 ; Wu et al, 2004 ; Sapounakis et al, 2010 ). There has been shown a reduction in triglycerides and total cholesterol after a 24-h ultra-marathon, but no change in low density lipoprotein cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (Emed et al, 2016 ).…”

Section: Heartmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiology and Pathophysiology in Ultra-Marathon Running

Knechtle

Nikolaidis²

2018

Front. Physiol.

218

235

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In this overview, we summarize the findings of the literature with regards to physiology and pathophysiology of ultra-marathon running. The number of ultra-marathon races and the number of official finishers considerably increased in the last decades especially due to the increased number of female and age-group runners. A typical ultra-marathoner is male, married, well-educated, and ~45 years old. Female ultra-marathoners account for ~20% of the total number of finishers. Ultra-marathoners are older and have a larger weekly training volume, but run more slowly during training compared to marathoners. Previous experience (e.g., number of finishes in ultra-marathon races and personal best marathon time) is the most important predictor variable for a successful ultra-marathon performance followed by specific anthropometric (e.g., low body mass index, BMI, and low body fat) and training (e.g., high volume and running speed during training) characteristics. Women are slower than men, but the sex difference in performance decreased in recent years to ~10–20% depending upon the length of the ultra-marathon. The fastest ultra-marathon race times are generally achieved at the age of 35–45 years or older for both women and men, and the age of peak performance increases with increasing race distance or duration. An ultra-marathon leads to an energy deficit resulting in a reduction of both body fat and skeletal muscle mass. An ultra-marathon in combination with other risk factors, such as extreme weather conditions (either heat or cold) or the country where the race is held, can lead to exercise-associated hyponatremia. An ultra-marathon can also lead to changes in biomarkers indicating a pathological process in specific organs or organ systems such as skeletal muscles, heart, liver, kidney, immune and endocrine system. These changes are usually temporary, depending on intensity and duration of the performance, and usually normalize after the race. In longer ultra-marathons, ~50–60% of the participants experience musculoskeletal problems. The most common injuries in ultra-marathoners involve the lower limb, such as the ankle and the knee. An ultra-marathon can lead to an increase in creatine-kinase to values of 100,000–200,000 U/l depending upon the fitness level of the athlete and the length of the race. Furthermore, an ultra-marathon can lead to changes in the heart as shown by changes in cardiac biomarkers, electro- and echocardiography. Ultra-marathoners often suffer from digestive problems and gastrointestinal bleeding after an ultra-marathon is not uncommon. Liver enzymes can also considerably increase during an ultra-marathon. An ultra-marathon often leads to a temporary reduction in renal function. Ultra-marathoners often suffer from upper respiratory infections after an ultra-marathon. Considering the increased number of participants in ultra-marathons, the findings of the present review would have practical applications for a large number of sports scientists and sports medicine practitioners working in this field.

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