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Wirnitzer K, Tanous D, Motevalli M, Wagner KH, Raschner C, Wirnitzer G, Leitzmann C, Rosemann T, Knechtle B. Racing Experiences of Recreational Distance Runners following Omnivorous, Vegetarian, and Vegan Diets (Part B)-Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2). Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15102243. [PMID: 37242128 DOI: 10.3390/nu15102243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential running or endurance performance difference based on following different general types of diets, such as omnivorous, vegetarian, or vegan, remains questionable. Several underlying modifiable factors of long-distance running performance, especially runner training behaviors and experience, diminish the clarity of results when analyzing dietary subgroups. Based on the cross-sectional design (survey), the NURMI Study Step 2 aimed to investigate a plethora of training behaviors among recreational long-distance running athletes and the relationship of general diet types with best time race performance. The statistical analysis was based on Chi-squared and Wilcoxon tests. The final sample (n = 245) included fit recreational long-distance runners following an omnivorous diet (n = 109), a vegetarian diet (n = 45), or a vegan diet (n = 91). Significant differences were found between the dietary subgroups in body mass index (p = 0.001), sex (p = 0.004), marital status (p = 0.029), and running-related motivations for well-being (p < 0.05) but not in age (p = 0.054). No significant difference was found for best time half-marathon, marathon, and/or ultra-marathon race performance based on diet type (p > 0.05). Whether the vegan diet is associated with enhanced endurance performance remains unclear. Although, the present results are suggestive that 100% plant-based (vegan) nutrition is compatible with distance running performance at the least.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Wirnitzer
- Department of Research and Development in Teacher Education, University College of Teacher Education Tyrol (PH Tirol), 6010 Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Research Center Medical Humanities, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Derrick Tanous
- Department of Research and Development in Teacher Education, University College of Teacher Education Tyrol (PH Tirol), 6010 Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mohamad Motevalli
- Department of Research and Development in Teacher Education, University College of Teacher Education Tyrol (PH Tirol), 6010 Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Karl-Heinz Wagner
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Raschner
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Claus Leitzmann
- Institute of Nutrition, University of Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Thomas Rosemann
- Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beat Knechtle
- Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Medbase St. Gallen, Am Vadianplatz, 9001 St. Gallen, Switzerland
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Smyth B, Lawlor A. Longer Disciplined Tapers Improve Marathon Performance for Recreational Runners. Front Sports Act Living 2021; 3:735220. [PMID: 34651125 PMCID: PMC8506252 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2021.735220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
For marathoners the taper refers to a period of reduced training load in the weeks before race-day. It helps runners to recover from the stresses of weeks of high-volume, high-intensity training to enhance race-day performance. The aim of this study was to analyse the taper strategies of recreational runners to determine whether particular forms of taper were more or less favorable to race-day performance. Methods: We analyzed the training activities of more than 158,000 recreational marathon runners to define tapers based on a decrease in training volume (weekly distance). We identified different types of taper based on a combination of duration (1–4 weeks of decreasing training) and discipline (strict tapers progressively decrease training in the weeks before the marathon, relaxed tapers do not) and we grouped runners based on their taper type to determine the popularity of different types of taper and their associated performance characteristics. Results: Kruskal-Wallis tests (H(7)≥ 521.11, p < 0.001), followed by posthoc Dunns tests with a Bonferroni correction, confirmed that strict tapers were associated with better marathon performance than relaxed tapers (p < 0.001) and that longer tapers of up to 3 weeks were associated with better performance than shorter tapers (p < 0.001). Results indicated that strict 3-week tapers were associated with superior marathon finish-time benefits (a median finish-time saving of 5 min 32.4 s or 2.6%) compared with a minimal taper (p < 0.001). We further found that female runners were associated with greater finish-time benefits than men, for a given taper type ( ≤ 3-weeks in duration), based on Mann Whitney U tests of significance with p < 0.001. Conclusion: The findings of this study for recreational runners are consistent with related studies on highly-trained athletes, where disciplined tapers were associated with comparable performance benefits. The findings also highlight how most recreational runners (64%) adopt less disciplined (2-week and 3-week) tapers and suggest that shifting to a more disciplined taper strategy could improve performance relative to the benefits of a less disciplined taper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry Smyth
- Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Aonghus Lawlor
- Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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