Psychological Impact of an 120-km Ultra-Endurance Race

NCT07522333 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: CHUO-2026-02
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 8
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Ultra-endurance races (ultra-marathons) take place under extreme environmental conditions, over long distances, involving prolonged physical activity and multiple psychological and physiological challenges. These extreme conditions expose runners to a wide range of emotions-both pleasant and unpleasant-that can influence their performance, fatigue, and perception of exertion. Emotional intelligence and emotional regulation appear to be key determinants of emotional trajectories and performance in these contexts. Previous research shows that high levels of emotional intelligence and adaptive emotional regulation strategies are associated with functional emotional trajectories and better performance, whereas maladaptive strategies are linked to dysfunctional emotional trajectories and reduced performance. Furthermore, defense mechanisms constitute a complementary approach to emotional self-regulation. They can be adaptive or maladaptive and influence how runners cope with emotions and psychological stressors during competition. Longitudinal studies conducted to date have primarily explored post-race emotional trajectories in relation to emotional intelligence, without examining the impact of defense mechanisms on emotional dynamics during the race. Furthermore, few studies have examined the mediating role of emotional intensity between emotional regulation and perceived performance, and even fewer have adopted an approach that integrates physiological indicators such as heart rate or heart rate variability. Thus, this study lies at the intersection of sports psychology, emotion, and physiology, and aims to fill these gaps by exploring:

1. 1.the influence of defense mechanisms on emotional dynamics and physical and mental fatigue during an ultra-endurance race, and
2. 2.the mediating role of emotional intensity on the relationship between emotional regulation and perceived performance.

Conditions

Healthy Adult Participants

Keywords

Ultra endurance; Running; Psychological; Impact

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Examination of the influence of defense mechanisms on the emotional dynamics observed during and following an ultra-endurance race

  Defense mechanisms will be assessed before the race using the Defense Style Questionnaire - 26 (DSQ-26). Scale from 1 to 6, with 1 being "never" and 6 being "always".

  During kilometers 16, 41, 56, 68, 89, and 112 (up to 5 minutes per stop), and at the finish line 120th kilometer (up to 8 minutes)"

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Evaluation of physical and mental fatigue before, during and after the race

  During kilometers 16, 41, 56, 68, 89, and 112 (up to 5 minutes per stop), and at the finish line 120th kilometer (up to 8 minutes)"

• Exploration of the relationships between emotional regulation strategies and runners' perceived performance

  During kilometers 16, 41, 56, 68, 89, and 112 (up to 5 minutes per stop), and at the finish line 120th kilometer (up to 8 minutes)"

• Exploration of emotion regulation strategies and runners' perceived exertion

  During kilometers 16, 41, 56, 68, 89, and 112 (up to 5 minutes per stop), and at the finish line 120th kilometer (up to 8 minutes)"

Study Arms (1)

Healthy adults participants

Other: Completion on a tablet of self-administered questionnaires about their emotions/feelings

Interventions

Completion on a tablet of self-administered questionnaires about their emotions/feelings OTHER

Completion on a tablet of self-administered questionnaires about their emotions/feelings before, during (kilometers 16, 41, 56, 68, 89, and 112), and at the finish line (120th kilometer) of the "Ecotrail de Paris Ile de France 120 kilometers" ultra-trail race taking place on March 21, 2026.

Healthy adults participants

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy, able-bodied participants of both sexes, participating to the "Ecotrail de Paris Ile de France 120 kilometers" ultra-trail race taking place on March 21, 2026

You may qualify if:

• Individuals who have agreed to participate in the study
• Age ≥ 18 years
• Smartwatch capable of measuring heart rate and transmitting this data
• Subject with no significant medical history (chronic pulmonary disease, heart disease contraindicating Class IIIC exercise according to the Bethesda classification, pharmacologically treated hypertension, or significant chronic inflammatory disease)
• Participation in the "Ecotrail de Paris Ile de France 120 kilometers" ultra trail taking place on March 21, 2026.

You may not qualify if:

• Persons under legal guardianship or conservatorship
• Persons under judicial protection
• Persons deprived of liberty
• Persons not enrolled in a social security system
• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding at the time of enrollment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier Régional d'Orléans: lead

Study Sites (1)

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Orléans

Orléans, Loiret, 45100, France

Location

Related Publications (16)

• Nieman DC, Davis JM, Brown VA, Henson DA, Dumke CL, Utter AC, Vinci DM, Downs MF, Smith JC, Carson J, Brown A, McAnulty SR, McAnulty LS. Influence of carbohydrate ingestion on immune changes after 2 h of intensive resistance training. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2004 Apr;96(4):1292-8. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01064.2003. Epub 2003 Dec 12.

  PMID: 14672962 BACKGROUND

• Parry D, Chinnasamy C, Papadopoulou E, Noakes T, Micklewright D. Cognition and performance: anxiety, mood and perceived exertion among Ironman triathletes. Br J Sports Med. 2011 Nov;45(14):1088-94. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2010.072637. Epub 2010 Jun 11.

  PMID: 20542977 BACKGROUND

• Terry DP, Brassil M, Iverson GL, Panenka WJ, Silverberg ND. Effect of depression on cognition after mild traumatic brain injury in adults. Clin Neuropsychol. 2019 Jan;33(1):124-136. doi: 10.1080/13854046.2018.1459853. Epub 2018 May 4.

  PMID: 29726314 BACKGROUND

• Alquraini H, Auchus RJ. Strategies that athletes use to avoid detection of androgenic-anabolic steroid doping and sanctions. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2018 Mar 15;464:28-33. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.01.028. Epub 2017 Jan 24.

  PMID: 28130115 BACKGROUND

• Karlsson EM, Johnstone LT, Carey DP. The depth and breadth of multiple perceptual asymmetries in right handers and non-right handers. Laterality. 2019 Nov;24(6):707-739. doi: 10.1080/1357650X.2019.1652308. Epub 2019 Aug 9.

  PMID: 31399020 BACKGROUND

• Ivarsson A, Andersen MB, Stenling A, Johnson U, Lindwall M. Things we still haven't learned (so far). J Sport Exerc Psychol. 2015 Aug;37(4):449-61. doi: 10.1123/jsep.2015-0015.

  PMID: 26442774 BACKGROUND

• Bowins B. Psychological defense mechanisms: a new perspective. Am J Psychoanal. 2004 Mar;64(1):1-26. doi: 10.1023/B:TAJP.0000017989.72521.26.

  PMID: 14993839 BACKGROUND

• Rauch TM, Tharion WJ, Strowman SR, Shukitt BL. Psychological factors associated with performance in the ultramarathon. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 1988 Sep;28(3):237-46. No abstract available.

  PMID: 3230905 BACKGROUND

• Vaillant GE, Bond M, Vaillant CO. An empirically validated hierarchy of defense mechanisms. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1986 Aug;43(8):786-94. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1986.01800080072010.

  PMID: 3729674 BACKGROUND

• Bond M. Empirical studies of defense style: relationships with psychopathology and change. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2004 Sep-Oct;12(5):263-78. doi: 10.1080/10673220490886167.

  PMID: 15590575 BACKGROUND

• Wagstaff CR. Emotion regulation and sport performance. J Sport Exerc Psychol. 2014 Aug;36(4):401-12. doi: 10.1123/jsep.2013-0257.

  PMID: 25226609 BACKGROUND

• Martinent G, Decret JC. Coping profiles of young Athletes in their everyday life: A three-wave two-month study. Eur J Sport Sci. 2015;15(8):736-47. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2015.1051131. Epub 2015 Aug 20.

  PMID: 26289726 BACKGROUND

• Garnefski N, Kraaij V, van Etten M. Specificity of relations between adolescents' cognitive emotion regulation strategies and Internalizing and Externalizing psychopathology. J Adolesc. 2005 Oct;28(5):619-31. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2004.12.009. Epub 2005 Feb 25.

  PMID: 16203199 BACKGROUND

• Levillain G, Martinent G, Nicolas M. Longitudinal trajectories of intensity and direction of emotions among athletes in sports competitions: do defense mechanisms matter? Anxiety Stress Coping. 2025 Jul;38(4):379-393. doi: 10.1080/10615806.2024.2394800. Epub 2024 Aug 30.

  PMID: 39211985 BACKGROUND

• Pearson H. Physiology: freaks of nature? Nature. 2006 Dec 21;444(7122):1000-1. doi: 10.1038/4441000a. No abstract available.

  PMID: 17183290 BACKGROUND

• Noakes TD. The limits of endurance exercise. Basic Res Cardiol. 2006 Sep;101(5):408-17. doi: 10.1007/s00395-006-0607-2. Epub 2006 Aug 18.

  PMID: 16915533 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Tooth, Impacted

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Tooth Diseases; Stomatognathic Diseases

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 30, 2026
• First Posted: April 13, 2026
• Study Start: March 21, 2026
• Primary Completion: March 21, 2026
• Study Completion: March 21, 2026
• Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Locations

FR (1)