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Physiological and performance characteristics in the Spartathlon: A narrative review of scientific findings

2026Artigo científico Acesso aberto
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datacite.subject.fosCiências Sociais::Ciências da Educação
datacite.subject.fosCiências Médicas::Ciências da Saúde
datacite.subject.sdg03:Saúde de Qualidade
datacite.subject.sdg04:Educação de Qualidade
dc.contributor.authorKnechtle, Beat
dc.contributor.authorForte, Pedro
dc.contributor.authorScheer, Volker
dc.contributor.authorChlibková, Daniela
dc.contributor.authorNikolaidis, Pantelis Theo
dc.contributor.authorLeite, Luciano Bernardes
dc.contributor.authorWeiss, Katja
dc.contributor.authorRosemann, Thomas
dc.contributor.authorDuric, Sasa
dc.contributor.authorThuany, Mabliny
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-08T14:00:15Z
dc.date.available2026-07-08T14:00:15Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.description.abstractThe Spartathlon is a 246-km ultra-endurance running race, considered as one of the most iconic and physically demanding ultra-marathons in the world. In this narrative review, we aimed to synthesize the available current evidence on the physiological responses, performance trends, and health implications associated with participation in the Spartathlon. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify high-quality scientific studies on the Spartathlon. The databases Cochrane, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were used to retrieve articles published up to December 2025. We found a total of 33 publications in Web of Science, 25 in Embase, 24 in Scopus, 23 in PubMed, and 1 in Cochrane. After removing duplicates and applying the eligibility criteria, a final selection of studies was included for analysis in this narrative review. Results: The findings on the cardiac system showed reversible changes in echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers. Running the Spartathlon leads to specific effects on the locomotor system, such as an increase in peak pressure in the forefoot area, an increase in biochemical markers of muscle damage and changes in bone metabolism markers. Notably, the use of oral proton pump inhibitors was associated with a lower incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding. The Spartathlon also showed the highest prevalence of exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) of up to 65% as reported in the literature on ultra-marathon running. In addition, running Spartathlon leads to an inflammatory response and an increase in oxidative stress. Conclusions: Participation in the Spartathlon leads to several well-documented post-race physiological alterations, particularly affecting the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. Overall, the Spartathlon represents a unique model for studying human physiological resilience and adaptation under extreme conditions.por
dc.description.sponsorshipNot applicable
dc.identifier.citationKnechtle, Beat; Forte, Pedro; Scheer, Volker; Chlibková, Daniela; Nikolaidis, Pantelis T.; Leite, Luciano Bernardes; Weiss, Katja; Rosemann, Thomas; Duric, Sasa; Thuany, Mabliny (2026). Physiological and performance characteristics in the Spartathlon: A narrative review of scientific findings. Performance Enhancement & Health. ISSN 2211-2669. 14:4, p. 1-14
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.peh.2026.100448
dc.identifier.issn2211-2669
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10198/36985
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.relation.ispartofPerformance Enhancement & Health
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectCardiac function
dc.subjectFluid balance
dc.subjectMetabolism
dc.subjectSkeletal muscle damage
dc.subjectUltra-endurance
dc.titlePhysiological and performance characteristics in the Spartathlon: A narrative review of scientific findingseng
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.endPage14
oaire.citation.issue4
oaire.citation.startPage1
oaire.citation.titlePerformance Enhancement & Health
oaire.citation.volume14
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyNameForte
person.givenNamePedro
person.identifier.ciencia-id351B-B16B-79C7
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-0184-6780
relation.isAuthorOfPublication3ecc6d1b-07a4-40d7-81f4-df6fd7b3d5b0
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery3ecc6d1b-07a4-40d7-81f4-df6fd7b3d5b0

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