Sex Differences in Racing History of Recreational 10 km to Ultra Runners (Part B)—Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2)

Abstract

Sex differences in anatomy and physiology are the primary underlying factor for distinctions in running performance. Overall participation in recreational running events has been dominated by males, although increasing female participation has been reported in recent years. The NURMI study participants filled in a survey following the cross-sectional study design with questions on sociodemographic data, running and racing motivations, training behaviors, and racing history and experience. Data analysis included 141 female and 104 male participants aged 39 (IQR 17) with a healthy median BMI (21.7 kg/m²; IQR 3.5). Statistical analyses revealed sex differences with the males performing faster at half-marathon (p < 0.001) and marathon (p < 0.001) events but no difference at ultra-marathons (p = 0.760). Mediation analyses revealed no significant sex differences in the performance of half-marathon and marathon when considering training behaviors (p > 0.05), racing history (p > 0.05), or racing experience (p > 0.05). Differences in recreational performance may be more closely related to social constraints and expectations of females rather than the physiological advantages of the male athlete. Health professionals who guide and support recreational runners as well as the runners themselves and their coaches may benefit from this study’s results in order to improve the best time performance through a deeper understanding of the areas that mediate sex differences.

Training Behaviors and Periodization Outline of Omnivorous, Vegetarian, and Vegan Recreational Runners (Part A)—Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2)

“…Involving a cross-sectional design, the NURMI study was carried out in three steps. Further details regarding the NURMI study Step 2 methods have been published previously [ 4 , 9 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”

Sex Differences in Training Behaviors of 10 km to Ultra-Endurance Runners (Part A)—Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2)

“…Participants reported their marital status as single (32% of females vs. 20% of males), married or living with a partner (61% of females vs. 75% of males), or divorced/separated (7% of females vs. 5% of males). Characteristics of participants are further presented in Table 1 , and more details on the characteristics of participants are provided in Part B of the sequenced paper [ 33 ].…”

“…Figure 1 shows the categorization of participants according to sex and race distance subgroups: HM, M/UM, and 10 km (M/UM data were pooled since the marathon distance is within an ultra-marathon). Additionally, the involved reader is kindly referred to the Part B publication for the subsequential linking of training behaviors with race performances [ 33 ].…”

Racing Experiences of Recreational Distance Runners following Omnivorous, Vegetarian, and Vegan Diets (Part B)—Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2)

“…In connection, it has also been reported previously that additional variables not included in the present study are critical to consider regarding best race performance times such as genetics and specific anthropometrics, body composition and fat distribution, personal race day strategies (performance-enhancing substance usage, supplements, clothing/technology, etc. ), environmental conditions (surfaces, profiles, such as elevation gain or loss, and degree of incline or decline), weather (severe or moderate, relative temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction), or time of day [ 3 , 35 , 37 , 47 , 48 , 57 , 58 , 59 ].…”

“…The NURMI study (Nutrition and Running High Mileage) was a cross-sectional (survey-based) investigation on recreational distance runners (10 km, HM, M, and UM distances) and was planned out in three separate steps. The present article (Part B) is seamlessly sequenced to the complete methodological details [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 ] and results previously published in Part A [ 49 ] and thus includes only the limited methods regarding the present results. The study protocol was accepted (May 2015; EKSG 14/145) by the ethics board in St. Gallen, Switzerland [ 50 ], and a trial registration was completed (ISRCTN73074080).…”