Ultra-endurance events; analysing sleep. LJMU X Giant Liverpool Seminar.

Ultra-endurance events, need for sleep and sleep loss considered through a chronobiology lens. With Dr Ben Edwards.

An ultra-endurance event encompasses endeavours like ultra-marathons, ultra-triathlons, ultra-distance swimming, ultra-cycling and expedition challengers. Popularity and participation in these events have risen mainly by women and master athletes. However, research in these population in such events is sparce. These events span from 6 h to >30 days, where the participant can undergo many 24-h cycles of solar day and night.

Humans are rhythmical animals with an internal timing system (the body-clock) as well as molecular and protein clocks in most cells. The body clock through integrated feedback mechanisms, promotes wakefulness and alertness during the day and sleep during the night; as well as regulating appetite, cognitive performance and have an input into every system in the body.

To keep in time (24-h period) the body clock relies on external time cues such as the light dark cycle, exercise and activity, feeding and melatonin secretion. Components of sport have shown a time-of-day response, with skill and fine motor coordination best in the early morning 07-h, cognitive function peaking ~14-h and gross-muscular-function and time-trials peaking ~18-h.

This review will initially consider the body-clock and effects of on sport (gross muscular and cognitive) over a 24-h period. However, sleep loss is a common occurrence with athletes and especially so with ultra-endurance endeavours. Hence, we will then consider, effects of sleep loss and mitigating factors to reduce these effects during normal training and competition. And then, having defined ultra-endurance performance consider a theoretical 24-h challenge and the appropriate strategy to beat the Concept-2-World-record indoor rowing distance.

We then compared the theory-to-practice of a World-record attempt with considerations of, timing of the start of event, fuelling and hydration, as well as challenges to maintaining motivation in ultra-endurance events. We provide recommendations for 6-12-h, 24-h, 5-day and >30-day expedition-events.

Throughout the talk we will consider biological-sex and aging differences and acknowledge gaps in the literature.

Bio

Dr Ben Edwards is a Reader (associate professor) in Chronobiology and Environmental physiology at John Moores University (Liverpool), having previously qualified with a PhD in Sports Science at this University. Ben teaches on the Sport and Exercise Science undergraduate degree. As well as the school Masters Sport and Exercises programme in the UK , he also lectures on summer schools in the UK, Brazil, Germany and France. Ben has full or part authorship in ~100 international journals either published or in press, two reports to the British Olympic Association, reports to 1) a major clothing manufacturer, 2) Welsh Sports Council, 3) a commercial light therapy company and eight book chapters. Ben has been a recipient of the Presidents Medal from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society for world-leading research in Chronobiology. Bens research interests include circadian rhythms and performance, jet-lag, Sleep and, exercise in extreme environments. Ben has worked in extreme environments for the last 30 years and is an avid ultra endurance athlete.