The physiological trade-offs for ultra endurance activities ⚠️
What does the body protect first.
Experimental evidence of life history trade-offs during ultra-endurance physical activity
Study Details
Participants included:
👥 147 ultra-endurance athletes
🏃 111 ultramarathon runners
🚣 36 Atlantic Ocean rowers
👨 107 males
👩 40 females
Events 🌎
🇫🇮 Finland ultramarathon
🇵🇪 Peru Jungle Ultra
🇪🇸 Spain Al Andalus Ultimate Trail
🇳🇵 Nepal Everest Trail Race
🌊 Atlantic Ocean rowing race
⏰ Competitions ranged from ~20 hours to 44 days
Researchers assessed biomarkers linked to:
🛡️ Defence / immune function
🔥 Energy storage
🧬 Reproduction
🔧 Maintenance & tissue repair
💥 Stress response
Key Findings
📉 Significant body mass loss occurred across athletes (Females -2.8 kg, males -4.5 kg
🩸 Cortisol increased significantly post-race
🛡️ Immune defence markers increased
🔥 Fat stores and energy availability declined
🧬 Male reproductive hormones (e.g. testosterone) significantly declined
👩 Female reproductive markers were partly preserved (indicating protective effect)
💥 Muscle damage markers increased massively
📈 Oxidative stress and maintenance costs increased
Conclusion
During extreme endurance stress, the body appears to prioritise immediate survival and immune defence over…
1️⃣ energy storage
2️⃣ reproductive function
3️⃣ long-term maintenance and repair
These findings support the concept of “life history trade-offs” in humans, where limited energy availability forces the body to redistribute resources towards functions most critical for short-term survival 🔍
Reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42137885/
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