Amateur ultra runners still susceptible to unhealthy diets, study flags

14 Jul 2023 --- Researchers have found amateur ultra runners still make unhealthy food choices. While proper nutrition and diet can affect athletic performance, the study’s authors note it is likely unimportant for most amateurs to achieve good results in a competition, so “they allow themselves to deviate from healthy food.”

The study investigated dietary practices and nutritional knowledge among male and female ultra runners who perform in runs longer than a marathon. 

Among key findings in the new research, female ultra runners with a high nutrition knowledge consumed higher rates of healthy foods, which was not the case in male runners. At the same time, male smokers ate fewer unhealthy food categories than non-smokers. 

“The results indicate that individuals with less knowledge about nutrition may more often choose unhealthy products, which is confirmed in the literature,” reads the report. 

At the same time, the study found most respondents only had sufficient nutrition knowledge. “This indicates that despite the respondents doing sports and trying to lead a healthy lifestyle, they do not necessarily have adequate nutrition knowledge,” the authors state.

Ultra runners face challenges with maintaining homeostasis of the energy balance due to the high energy demand.Ultrarunning diet 
The study, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, notes that ultramarathon runners can suffer from health problems such as gastrointestinal disorders, digestive issues, nausea and bleeding, which limit their performance. 

Moreover, ultrarunners face challenges with maintaining homeostasis of the energy balance due to the high energy demand. The imbalance between food supply and energy expenditure can result in a caloric deficit or exercise-related hyponatremia – lower blood sodium levels than usual. 

Women with good nutrition knowledge consumed more significant amounts of products such as buckwheat, whole grain pasta, oatmeal and other coarse grains, and lower amounts of processed meats. At the same time, men with a good knowledge of nutrition consumed more cottage cheese. 

The study found that nutrition knowledge did not always correspond to the healthiest choices. Regardless of the level of knowledge, men consumed unhealthy products such as white rice, plain pasta, small groats, yellow cheese or sweetened drinks with the same frequency. 

Regardless of their nutritional knowledge, women consumed similar levels of fermented milk drinks, fish, legume seed dishes and fruit. 

How often people exercise also impacts their interest in specific sports nutrition, indicates recent research by Prinova – a provider of customized sports premixes and blends. The company noted that people who exercise less are often more interested in weight management, immune health, taste and texture than those who work out daily. 

Study set-up 
The study included 219 male and 89 female amateur ultrarunners who filled out questionnaires on dietary habits, frequency of food consumption, nutrition beliefs, lifestyle and personal data. The researchers calculated diet scores based on daily food consumption, analyzing the frequency of eating ten healthy and 14 unhealthy food groups. 

The authors found that nutrition knowledge did not always correspond to the healthiest choices.Based on the questionnaire results, the researchers categorized ultra runners’ nutrition knowledge as good, sufficient or insufficient and evaluated how it influenced their eating habits and frequency of specific meals. 

The unequal gender distribution and small sample size are critical limitations for the research, caution the researchers. They suggest future studies allow for a more extended period to complete the questionnaire but also attempt to reach ultra runners online and through sports clubs. 

They also note that it could be interesting to check the eating habits of runners during training.  

Sports nutrition market analysis
Industry professionals see opportunities to expand the sports nutrition segment by combining health benefits, targeting a more comprehensive range of consumers and using technology to improve efficacy and develop new products. 

The general consumption of protein is diversifying outside the sports nutrition category, as consumers outside the professional athlete sphere are demanding more of it. Innova Market Insights reported that a high source of protein claim is important to consumers, with almost half of consumers surveyed in Europe reporting using protein products. 

By Jolanda van Hal