SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2023
Mental Health in Ultra-Endurance Runners: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Psychological traits associated with mental and performance resilience in long-distance and ultra-endurance runners: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Mental health in endurance running: Beyond the prevalence of mental health symptoms toward understanding underlying mechanisms.The Journal of international medical research · 2026Article
- Sleep quality and psychological interactions in endurance and ultra-endurance trail runners: A prospective cross-sectional study.The Journal of international medical research · 2026Article
- Rowing across the Atlantic in an all-female team: Impact on mental health and mood changes-a cohort study.The Journal of international medical research · 2026Article
- Nutrition practices and race experiences of ultra-marathon athletes in the marathon des sables, a qualitative analysis.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- Assessment of depression and suicidal thoughts among female trail runners.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Is there a place for psychedelics in sports practice?Acta neuropsychiatrica · 2025Review
- Standardising health history and injury surveillance of participants in endurance events: a modified Delphi consensus statement from the AMSSM runner health consortium.British journal of sports medicine · 2025Article
- The fastest nonprofessional age group IRONMAN triathletes in the world originate from Europe.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Identifying anxiety and sleep problems, associated factors and sex differences in endurance and ultra-endurance runners.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Physiological and biomechanical aspects of the first female finisher in the longest triathlon in the world - Triple Deca in Ultra Triathlon Italy 2024.EXCLI journal · 2025Article
- Article
- Psychological Assessment and Intervention at the Boston Marathon.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2024Review
- Athletes' medical preventive behaviors: the case of oral health and ultraendurance trail runners.BMC oral health · 2024Article
- Personality of marathon runners: a narrative review of recent findings.EXCLI journal · 2024Review
- Sleep Health, Individual Characteristics, Lifestyle Factors, and Marathon Completion Time in Marathon Runners: A Retrospective Investigation of the 2016 London Marathon.Brain sciences · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAmong ultra-endurance runners (UER), the mental, behavioral, and physical demands of training/competition can result in maladaptive outcomes. Mental health issues are common in athletes and can impact psychology, physical health, and performance.
objectiveTo synthesize information regarding the incidence/prevalence and factors associated with mental health issues among UER.
methodsSystematic searches were performed in PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, Cochrane databases, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Medline Ovid using key terms related to UER (e.g., trail running, road running) and psychological issues (e.g., exercise addiction, depression). Inclusion criteria included original articles published in peer-reviewed journals in English, using qualitative or quantitative approaches. We considered papers reporting incidence/prevalence and associated factors with mental health outcomes in UER of both sexes, all ages, and levels of competition (e.g., elite, nonprofessional runners). The Joanna Briggs Institute Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies critical appraisal tool was used for quality assessment.
resultsA total of 282 studies were identified, and 11 studies were included in the final selection. A total of 3670 UER were included in the studies. The prevalence of mental health issues among UER ranged between 32.0% and 62.5% for eating disorders, from 11.5% to 18.2% for exercise addiction, 18.6% for depressive symptoms, and 24.5% for sleep disturbance. Exercise addiction was not related to weekly volume, but a strong relationship with exercise in an unstructured space, age, and body mass index was shown.
conclusionMental health issues among UER are common, especially eating disorders, exercise addiction, sleep disturbances, and depressive symptoms. Further high-quality studies are needed to examine underlying factors and find preventative strategies to protect UER. REGISTRATION: The protocol of this systematic review was registered at the PROSPERO-CRD42022338743.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.