Injury occurrence and mood states during a desert ultramarathon

Graham, Scott M; McKinley, Mairi; Chris, Connaboy C; Westbury, Tony; Baker, Julien S; Kilgore, Lon; Florida-James, Geraint

Abstract

Objective: To describe injuries and illnesses presented and profile mood states and sleep patterns during a desert environment ultramarathon.
Design: Prospective study gathering data on mood states and injury patterns.
Setting: Gobi Desert, Mongolia.
Participants: Eleven male competitors (mean mass, 83.7 ± 7.1 kg; body mass index, 24 ± 1.79 kg/m2; age, 33 ± 11 years).
Interventions: Injuries were clinically assessed and recorded each day.
Main Outcome Measures: Mood state was assessed using the Brunel Mood Scale.
Results: All subjects presented with abrasion injuries, dehydration, and heat stress. Vigor decreased over the first 6 days while fatigue increased (P < 0.05). Fatigue and vigor recovered on the final morning. The observed recovery was set against increasing levels of depression, tension, and confusion, which peaked at days 5/6 but returned to day 1 levels on the 7th day morning (P < 0.05). Mean sleep duration (6:17 ± 00:48 hours:minutes; lowest on day 6, 4:43 ± 01:54 hours:minutes) did not vary significantly across the 7 days but did correlate with mood alterations (P < 0.05). Increased anger and fatigue correlated strongly with sleep disruption (r = 0.736 and 0.768, respectively). Vigor and depression displayed a moderately strong correlation to sleep (r = 0.564 and −0.530).
Conclusions: Injury patterns were similar to those reported in other adventure/ultradistance events. Consistent with previous work, data show increased fatigue and reduced vigor in response to an arduous physical challenge.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 1, 2012
• Publication Date: 2012-11
• Deposit Date: Aug 1, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 16, 2018
• Journal: Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine
• Print ISSN: 1050-642X
• Electronic ISSN: 1536-3724
• Publisher: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 462-466
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/jsm.0b013e3182694734
• Keywords: sleep; mood; endurance exercise; ultramarathon; wilderness medicine; injury and illness pattern.
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/321121
• Contract Date: Jan 15, 2018