Is ultradistance sport healthy? A descriptive observational study of a cohort of ultradistance runners

Objective: To describe the physical and physiological characteristics of a group formed by ultra-distance runners, to compare their training habits with the guidelines established by the WHO and to study the possible harmful consequences of the high volume of physical activity performed. Material and method: The sample was formed by runners who repeated their participation in the “Ehunmilak” ultra-distance race in 2017 and 2018. Data collected through the medical certificates of the race and an own questionnaire were analyzed. For the analysis of variables, the Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests were used, with a 95% confidence interval. A value of p <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A low prevalence of several well known risk factors was observed (HT 1.8%, DM 0%, dyslipidemia 0-1.8%, smoking 5.3-10.5%, overweight 17.5%). During the last two years, 0% suffered cardiovascular injuries and 52.6% suffered musculoskeletal injuries. Medical examinations were performed frequently, each year by 91.2%. 72% complied with the latest WHO recommendations regarding volume of physical activity. Finally, no relationship was found between the parameters that indicate a high volume of physical exercise and the ECG result. The same occurred with musculoskeletal injuries, although in this case significant relationships were observed with BMI (p = 0.004) and training intensity (p = 0.009). Conclusions: It was observed that the group of runners studied is in good health and that their training habits are correct, according to the latest WHO recommendations. In addition, their characteristics and training habits did not show a relationship with the risk of developing a pathological ECG or suffering musculoskeletal injuries, except for the significant relationship that BMI and training intensity showed with the latter.