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- Title
Sleep and Ultramarathon: Exploring Patterns, Strategies, and Repercussions of 1,154 Mountain Ultramarathons Finishers.
- Authors
Kishi, Anthony; Millet, Guillaume Y; Desplan, Matthieu; Lemarchand, Bruno; Bouscaren, Nicolas
- Abstract
Background: Sleep and physical performance are strongly related and mutually influence each other. Athletes, particularly in disciplines like offshore sailing and ultra-endurance sports, often suffer from sleep deprivation due to factors like irregular training times, travel, and the extended duration of events like 100-mile mountain races. Despite growing interest in sleep's role in sports science, few studies have specifically investigated the sleep patterns of ultramarathon runners. This study aimed to investigate sleep patterns and sleep management strategies in ultramarathons, and the repercussions of sleep deprivation during and after races. Methods: This cross-sectional study using e-survey was conducted on 1154 runners from two ultramarathons (a 165 km race with 9,576 m positive elevation; 2018 finish time [23:18:48–66:04:00], and a 111 km race with 6,433 m elevation; [15:34:56 − 41:54:16]). Results: The results revealed that 58% of the runners reported implementing sleep management strategies before or during the race. Most runners began the race with some level of sleep debt (-50 min a week before the race). During the races, 77% of runners slept, with the cumulative sleep duration varying based on race duration and the number of nights spent on the race (76 min at 165 km and 27 min at 111 km). Short naps lasting less than 30 min were the most popular strategy. The prevalence of symptoms attributed to sleep deprivation during the race was high (80%), with reported falls and hallucinations. After the race, runners reported recovering a normal state of wakefulness relatively quickly (within two days); 22% believed that sleep deprivation during the race increased the risk of accidents in everyday life. Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into sleep patterns and strategies in ultramarathon running and emphasizes the importance of adequate sleep management for performance and post-race recovery. Key Points: On average, ultramarathoners start their race with a cumulative total sleep debt of -50 min over the seven days preceding the race compared to their usual weekly sleep duration. 77% of runners declared having done at least one nap during the races, yet the individual cumulative sleep duration was relatively low:76 min on a 165 km (finish time 49.9 ± 7.9 h) vs. 27 min on a 111 km (finish time 33.6 ± 5.3 h). The nap duration during the races was short (82% lasted less than 30 min) and occurred mainly during the second part of the night. 80% of runners reported at least one symptom attributed to sleep deprivation during the race. Those who increased their average daily sleep deprivation the week before the race reported a lower prevalence of falls attributed to sleep deprivation. Runners recovered from a normal state of wakefulness relatively quickly (within two days), but 22% believed that sleep deprivation during the race increased the risk of accidents in everyday life.
- Subjects
CROSS-sectional method; TASK performance; RUNNING; QUESTIONNAIRES; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; EXTREME sports; SLEEP quality; ATHLETIC ability
- Publication
Sports Medicine - Open, 2024, Vol 10, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2199-1170
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1186/s40798-024-00704-w