We trail runners and ultrarunners love our sports. As with any group of highly motivated and passionate folks, it can be difficult to know where the balance between “not enough” and “too much” resides.
Sports dietician Dr. Kelly Pritchett and scientist and professional trail runner Keely Henniger are paying attention, and are conducting a study through the help of a survey, which you can fill out here or by scanning the QR code in the image below.
They identified that previous studies have shown a high prevalence of disordered eating and mental illness in trail runners and ultrarunners, increased risk for relative energy deficiency in sports (RED-S), and inadequate intra-race fueling strategies.
Dr. Pritchett is a runner and compassionate advocate for the community. She also heads up Central Washington University’s Sports Performance Nutrition program. Together, Dr. Pritchett and Henninger are conducting a study of trail runners and ultrarunners aged 18 to 65.
To participate, runners can fill out the 15- to 20-minute anonymous survey. Through the responses, the program’s leader, Dr. Kelly Pritchett, seeks to better understand how issues surrounding proper fueling and performance converge within the trail running and ultrarunning communities.
“This study will provide deeper insights for future studies and contribute to evidence-based recommendations for fueling, training, and overall health of the trail running community,” she told iRunFar.
Scientist and professional trail runner Keely Henninger. Photo: Keely Henninger
The online survey, which launched on May 11, will be available through the end of the month. Three participants will be selected at random to receive a personalized kit of trail goods.
Call for Comments
- Have you ever experienced relative energy deficiency in sports (RED-S) during a training cycle or racing season?
- Did you recover and if so how did you address the issue?
Sports dietician Dr. Kelly Pritchett. Photo: Kelly Pritchett
