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A DIVERSE SET OF VARIABLES PREDICTS GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS DURING ENDURANCE RUNNING RACES

Abstract

Patrick B. Wilson1, Brian Ferguson1, Moe Mavins1, Alex Ehlert2. 1Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA. 2North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, NC.

BACKGROUND: Although age, sex, training experience, anthropometrics, race duration, and nutritional intake have all been identified as potential predictors of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms during endurance races, few studies have examined all these factors simultaneously. The goal of this observational study was to examine the extent to which the severity of GI symptoms during endurance running races could be predicted from a combination of variables. METHODS: 140 participants (81 women, 59 men; age=40.6 +/- 13.3 yr) completed a series of questionnaires within 72 hours of finishing endurance running races. Questionnaires inquired about demographics, running history, race finishing time and distance, GI-symptom history, trait anxiety, visceral sensitivity, anthropometrics, and nutritional intake before and during the events. Stepwise linear regression was used to identify significant predictors of upper and lower GI symptoms, respectively. Cases that were identified as outliers based on inspecting residual plots were removed from the analyses. RESULTS: For upper GI symptoms during races, the following variables made it into the final model and explained 33% of the variability in severity scores: pre-race fat intake (standardized beta [SB]=0.32), resting upper GI symptoms (SB=0.30), during-race fluid intake rate (SB=0.14), visceral sensitivity (SB=-0.24), trait anxiety (SB=0.21), and during-race carbohydrate intake rate (SB=0.18). For lower GI symptoms during races, resting lower GI symptoms (SB=0.41), during-race carbohydrate intake rate (SB=0.21), age (SB=-0.22), and race distance (SB=0.19) made it into the final model, explaining 29% of the variability in severity scores. CONCLUSIONS: Several variables predict GI symptoms during races, yet a substantial amount of variability in severity scores remains unaccounted for. In addition, predictors differ somewhat for upper and lower GI symptoms.

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