Back to Search
Start Over
Glycaemic Effects of a 156-km Ultra-trail Race in Athletes: An Observational Field Study.
- Source :
-
Sports Medicine . Aug2024, Vol. 54 Issue 8, p2169-2184. 16p. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Background: Ultra-trail running races pose appreciable physiological challenges, particularly for glucose metabolism. Previous studies that yielded divergent results only measured glycaemia at isolated times. Objectives: We aimed to explore the impact of an ultra-endurance race on continuously measured glycaemia and to understand potential physiological mechanisms, as well as the consequences for performance and behavioural alertness. Methods: Fifty-five athletes (78% men, 43.7 ± 9.6 years) ran a 156-km ultra-trail race (six 26-km laps, total elevation 6000 m). Participants wore a masked continuous glucose monitoring sensor from the day before the race until 10 days post-race. Blood was taken at rest, during refuelling stops after each lap, and after 24-h recovery. Running intensity (% heart rate reserve), performance (lap times), psychological stress, and behavioural alertness were explored. Linear mixed models and logistic regressions were carried out. Results: No higher risk of hypo- or hyperglycaemia was observed during the exercise phases of the race (i.e. excluding stops for scientific measurements and refuelling) compared with resting values. Laps comprising a greater proportion of time spent at maximal aerobic intensity were nevertheless associated with more time > 180 mg/dL (P = 0.021). A major risk of hyperglycaemia appeared during the 48-h post-race period compared with pre-race (P < 0.05), with 31.9% of the participants spending time with values > 180 mg/dL during recovery versus 5.5% during resting. Changes in circulating insulin, cortisol, and free fatty acids followed profiles comparable with those usually observed during traditional aerobic exercise. However, creatine phosphokinase, and to a lesser extent lactate dehydrogenase, increased exponentially during the race (P < 0.001) and remained high at 24-h post-race (P < 0.001; respectively 43.6 and 1.8 times higher vs. resting). Glycaemic metrics did not influence physical performance or behavioural alertness. Conclusion: Ultra-endurance athletes were exposed to hyperglycaemia during the 48-h post-race period, possibly linked to muscle damage and inflammation. Strategies to mitigate muscle damage or subsequent inflammation before or after ultra-trail races could limit recovery hyperglycaemia and hence its related adverse health consequences. Trial Registration Number: NCT05538442 2022–09-21 retrospectively registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *EXERCISE physiology
*REPEATED measures design
*RISK assessment
*SCALE analysis (Psychology)
*RESEARCH funding
*SKELETAL muscle
*ENDURANCE sports
*SCIENTIFIC observation
*LOGISTIC regression analysis
*INSULIN
*HYDROCORTISONE
*LACTATE dehydrogenase
*WEARABLE technology
*DESCRIPTIVE statistics
*EXTREME sports
*ATHLETES
*HYPERGLYCEMIA
*CREATINE kinase
*CONTINUOUS glucose monitoring
*FIELD research
*PSYCHOLOGICAL stress
*ANAEROBIC exercises
*ATHLETIC ability
*FATTY acids
*INFLAMMATION
*BODY movement
*PSYCHOLOGICAL tests
*DATA analysis software
*HYPOGLYCEMIA
*BLOOD sugar monitoring
*REGRESSION analysis
*DISEASE risk factors
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01121642
- Volume :
- 54
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Sports Medicine
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 179067902
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02013-4