Bioenergetics and psychological profile of an ultra-endurance walker

Ultra-endurance walking provides athletes with significant physiological and psychological challenges. In this study ultra-endurance walking races are intended as events where the participants have to cover the largest distance within a given time, usually 24, 36, 48 hours, or longer, keeping the pause time within 5% of the total walking time. The aim of the study was to evaluate the metabolic, bioenergetics, and psychological characteristics of a world record ultra-endurance walker during three different ultra-endurance events characterized by different durations (36 hours, 48 hours and 70 hours). The participant investigated in this study was an experienced male ultra-endurance walker (age 41 years; mass 69 kg; height 173 cm), who used always the Nordic walking technique. During the 70 hours event, our walker broke the "Longest Marathon Nordic Walking" Guinness World Record covering 274 km in 70 hours. An overall time-dependent increase of oxidative stress, as assessed by lipid hydroperoxide levels, was observed in 36 hours and 48 hours events. Speed and metabolic cost of walking decreased rather linearly with walking time over all the three events. The study shows how the walker was able to approach the three different ultra-endurance events characterized by different durations applying physiological, and psychological strategies allowing him to reach the goal of the completion of each ultra-endurance event.