The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Endurance and Ultra-Endurance Running

Scheer, Volker; Valero, David; Villiger, Elias; Rosemann, Thomas; Knechtle, Beat

doi:10.3390/medicina57010052

Cited by 29 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…As reported by Scheer, the events that limited by distance and time was significantly decreased during this pandemic, and they suggested that it was impossible that running events could return to pre-pandemic levels soon (33). Negative influence on running tests was observed on male 50-m dash and 1,000-m/800-m race in our study as well.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

The Physical Fitness Level of College Students Before and After Web-Based Physical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2021

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been an emergency worldwide. Web-based physical education is a choice for college students to keep on their study. The aim of this study was to compare the data of physical fitness of college students before and after web-based physical education.Methods: All the students of 2018 and 2019 in Wuhan University of Technology who had taken the web-based physical education class in 2020 were included in this study. The records of annual physical fitness tests of all the subjects in 2019 and 2020 which were carried out in September were reviewed, including weight, height, body mass index (BMI), vital capacity (VC), 50-m dash, sit-and-reach, standing long jump, male-specific pull-ups and 1,000-m race, and female-specific sit-ups and 800-m race.Results: There were 24,112 male and 9,690 female records of physical fitness tests included in our study. The results of 11,219 male and 4,651 female students who completed both physical fitness tests in 2019 and 2020 were employed for Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Declined performance was observed on male 50-m dash by 0.1 s, male 1,000-m race by 14 s, and female 800-m race by 11 s. Notably, the percentage of male obesity, based on BMI, rose from 10.6 to 15.2% and 17.1 to 21.8% for male overweight; correspondingly, the percentage of male normal weight declined from 55.9 to 51.9% and 16.4 to 11.1% for male thinness. The trend of increasing BMI in males should be paid attention to. Improved results on vital capacity, sit-and-reach, standing long jump for both males and females, female 50-m dash, female sit-ups, and male pull-ups were observed in 2020. All the results of physical fitness tests were significantly different between 2019 and 2020 (p < 0.01) by Wilcoxon signed-rank test.Conclusions: The changes of physical fitness tests before and after web-based physical education suggested that the focus should be placed on improvement for running tests through appropriate alternatives, such as fast running in place and shuttle run. In addition, the simple, convenient, and practical sport that require available equipment and little field should be considered for web-based physical education.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

The Physical Fitness Level of College Students Before and After Web-Based Physical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2021

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“…The popularity of UER has increased over the last 2 decades [ 2 ] and, in 2019 alone, over 669,000 runners contested more than 7000 UER events around the world [ 3 ]. Participation in UER decreased significantly in 2020 due to the worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic [ 4 ]. To date, research in UER has focused predominantly on acute injuries and medical problems, as well as physiological, biochemical, nutritional, performance, and training-related aspects [ 5 – 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Long-Term Health Problems Associated with Ultra-Endurance Running: A Narrative Review

Scheer¹,

Tiller

Doutreleau

et al. 2021

Sports Med

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It is well established that physical activity reduces all-cause mortality and can prolong life. Ultra-endurance running (UER) is an extreme sport that is becoming increasingly popular, and comprises running races above marathon distance, exceeding 6 h, and/or running fixed distances on multiple days. Serious acute adverse events are rare, but there is mounting evidence that UER may lead to long-term health problems. The purpose of this review is to present the current state of knowledge regarding the potential long-term health problems derived from UER, specifically potential maladaptation in key organ systems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, renal, immunological, gastrointestinal, neurological, and integumentary systems. Special consideration is given to youth, masters, and female athletes, all of whom may be more susceptible to certain long-term health issues. We present directions for future research into the pathophysiological mechanisms that underpin athlete susceptibility to long-term issues. Although all body systems can be affected by UER, one of the clearest effects of endurance exercise is on the cardiovascular system, including right ventricular dysfunction and potential increased risk of arrhythmias and hypertension. There is also evidence that rare cases of acute renal injury in UER could lead to progressive renal scarring and chronic kidney disease. There are limited data specific to female athletes, who may be at greater risk of certain UER-related health issues due to interactions between energy availability and sex-hormone concentrations. Indeed, failure to consider sex differences in the design of female-specific UER training programs may have a negative impact on athlete longevity. It is hoped that this review will inform risk stratification and stimulate further research about UER and the implications for long-term health.

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“…In 2019 alone, over 669,000 runners finished an UER event and there were over 7000 UER events hosted around the world (DUV, 2019). The exception of course, was 2020, with a significant reduction in UER participation and events, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic (Scheer et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Musculoskeletal Injuries in Ultra-Endurance Running: A Scoping Review

Scheer¹,

Krabak

2021

Front. Physiol.

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Ultra-endurance running (UER) has seen an important increase in participation over the last few decades. Long hours of UER can lead to excessive stress on the body, resulting in musculoskeletal injuries (MSKI). UER is not a uniform sport and events can differ considerably in distance (over 42.195 km), time (e.g., events over 6 h) and multi-day or multi-stage events on various surfaces (e.g., track, on-road, off-road). The aims of this scoping review were therefore: (1) to examine the current evidence of MSKI, providing a synthesis of the most common MSKI by anatomical region and specific diagnosis; (2) categorize MSKI by type of UER activity (competition: time-limited; multi-stage; continuous UER events and training); (3) describe knowledge gaps in the literature and provide advice on potential further research. Our electronic literature search (PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science) identified a total of 13 studies (9 in competition, and 4 in training). Anatomical site, diagnosis and rate of injuries differ between competition and training as well as between different UER types. MSKI are observed in 18% of multi-stage events (0.7–1.8 injuries/runner and 7.2 injuries/1000 h). Most MSKI involve the lower leg (35.0%), ankle (16.8%), knee (13.1%) and foot (12.6%), with main diagnosis of medial tibial stress syndrome (30.1%) and patella femoral pain syndrome (PFPS; 7.2%). Single, continuous UER events differ between a 1005 km road race with almost all of the injuries due to overuse, with the main anatomical site of the knee (31%), ankle (28%) and lower leg (14%) and main diagnosis of PFPS (15.6%), compared to a 65 km trail race, with 32.8% of MSKI, mainly on the foot [plantar fasciitis (28.6%)], ankle [sprain (28.6%)] and knee. Timed-UER events (injury rate of 2.1 injuries/athlete) observed most injuries on the ankle (36%) and knee (19%), with the main diagnosis of tendinitis of the foot dorsiflexors (30%). Injuries during training most commonly affect, the back (42%), and knee (40%) and bone stress injuries (22%). Main diagnoses include ankle sprain (18%), iliotibial band injury (16%) and Achilles tendinopathy (11%). Future considerations include examining MSKI in different UER events, environments and surfaces, and on larger study populations. Establishing risk factors, examining sex differences and using a standard reporting system of MSKI in UER are also important.

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The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Endurance and Ultra-Endurance Running

Cited by 29 publications

References 16 publications

The Physical Fitness Level of College Students Before and After Web-Based Physical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Physical Fitness Level of College Students Before and After Web-Based Physical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Potential Long-Term Health Problems Associated with Ultra-Endurance Running: A Narrative Review

Musculoskeletal Injuries in Ultra-Endurance Running: A Scoping Review

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