Body composition of 161-km ultramarathoners.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Human Physiology
• Endurance Sports

Background:

• Ultramarathon running involves extreme endurance challenges.
• Body composition is a key factor in athletic performance.
• Understanding the relationship between body fat and ultramarathon success is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare body composition characteristics with performance in a 161-km trail ultramarathon.
• To investigate the correlation between body fat percentage and race finish times.
• To identify differences in body composition between finishers and non-finishers.

Main Methods:

• Measured height, mass, and percent body fat using bioimpedance spectroscopy on 72 participants.
• Utilized correlation analyses to link body characteristics with finish times.
• Employed unpaired t-tests to compare finishers and non-finishers.

Main Results:

• A significant positive correlation was found between percent body fat and finish time for men (r(2)=0.23; p=0.0025).
• Finishers exhibited lower percent body fat than non-finishers in both men (p=0.03) and women (p=0.04).
• Faster male runners generally had lower body fat percentages compared to slower male runners.

Conclusions:

• Despite wide variations in body mass index (BMI) and body fat, lower body fat is associated with better performance in male ultramarathoners.
• Finishers of the 161-km trail race demonstrated lower body fat percentages compared to non-finishers.
• Body composition, specifically reduced body fat, appears to be a relevant factor for success in extreme endurance events.