title: Anthropometry and pre-race experience of finishers and nonfinishers in a multistage ultra-endurance run--Deutschlandlauf 2007.
abstract: The effects of anthropometry and pre-race experience on race performance were investigated in male nonprofessional ultra-runners performing a multistage run of 1,200 km over 17 days. Of 24 athletes examined pre-race, 14 (58%) dropped out during the race due to overuse injuries of the lower limbs. During the race, body mass, thickness of the calf skin-fold, skeletal muscle mass, and percent body fat decreased significantly, while circumference of the upper arm, thickness of triceps, and abdominal skin-fold as well as Body Mass Index decreased significantly in the finishers. Neither anthropometry nor pre-race experience and training volume nor previously finished races were associated with the race time of the finishers. In future studies of ultra-runners, the influence of psychological (cognitive and emotional) predictors on race outcome should be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Institute of General Practice and Health Services Research University of Zurich Gesundheitszentrum St. Gallen, Switzerland. beat.knechtle@hispeed.ch
authors.forename: Beat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Knechtle
authors.forename: Brida
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Duff
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rosemann
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Senn
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012885:Skinfold Thickness