Relationship Between Training Frequency and Training Session Duration on Vitality in Recreational Runners: A Cross-Sectional Study

<b>Background</b>: Running can improve health status from a biopsychosocial perspective. However, isolation strategies, like the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown, produce deleterious effects on both health status and sport performance. The aim of our study was to investigate recreational runners' sporting habits, subjective vitality (SV), and well-being after the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown. <b>Methods</b>: After data filtration, 5542 recreational runners (74.5% men and 25.5% women, >18 years) were selected for further analyses. The participants answered preliminary questions regarding sporting habits and completed the validated Spanish version of the Subjective Vitality as a Dynamic Reflection of Well-Being questionnaire for assessing their SV after lockdown. <b>Results</b>: Subjective vitality scores did not differ between men and women, nor between age groups (<i>p</i> = 0.41 and <i>p</i> = 0.11, respectively). Subjective vitality was greater with weekly training frequency up to 5 days/week, where this enhancement plateaued, while average training session duration was positively related to SV, stabilizing at 91-120 min/session (<i>p</i> < 0.001 for both). <b>Conclusions</b>: There is a dose-response relationship between both weekly training frequency and training session duration, and mental health benefits in recreational runners. Further longitudinal studies are needed in order to determine the optimal dose-response relationship for simultaneously enhancing mental health outcomes and running performance in recreational runners, especially regarding weekly training frequency, training session duration, and exercise intensity.