Real‐Time Monitoring of Biometric Responses During a 200‐km Ultra‐Endurance Race Across the Desert
Ultra-endurance sports challenge athlete health, with these risks exacerbated by environmental extremes and/or remoteness of competition. Therefore, this study aimed to use real-time monitoring technology to characterise and monitor physiological/biomechanical responses during SAMLA 2023, a 200-km multidiscipline (swim, run, bike, and kayak) ultra-endurance race, encompassing cool and warm desert environmental conditions (16°C-28°C). Within a cross-sectional observational study design, 18 males (total entrants: 318) were instrumented with wearable/ingestible sensors measuring physiological [heart rate and core (Tc)/skin (Tsk) temperature], biomechanical [gait] and location-based [Global Positioning System (GPS)] metrics. Sensors connected to a smartphone application via Bluetooth, which saved and transmitted data to a cloud-based dashboard in real-time. Participants were on-course for an accumulated ∼668 h. ∼662 h of GPS data were displayed in real-time with the longest individual data capture of ∼57 h. Physiological/biomechanical data were acquired for x̄: ∼42% (range: ∼38%-∼49%) of the participant on-course time. Hypo/hyperthermic Tc's were seen (x̄: 37.8°C range: 35.7°C-39.2°C). Tsk (28°C: 11.7°C-38.4°C) in response to the varied in-race environmental challenges (16°C-28°C ambient temperature) and heart rate (111 b·min<sup>-1</sup>: 37 b·min<sup>-1</sup>-179 b·min<sup>-1</sup>) varied markedly. One participant was hospitalised without presentation in physiological data. Biomechanical data had significant data loss and quality issues and are not presented. Developments in real-time monitoring technology, acknowledging limitations observed here (physiological/biomechanical data acquisition), may allow combined in-race GPS and physiological data (e.g., Tc/Tsk) to be used during ultra-endurance sport to prospectively protect athlete health. GPS/physiological data alone may not identify medical emergencies, and medical teams must remain alert to medical events.
Authors
- Lee Taylor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8483-7187)
- Marco Cardinale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2777-8707)
- Yannis Paul Pitsiladis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6210-2449)
- Taoufik Belfekih
- Chris Esh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7239-6396)
- Valentin Dablainville (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4197-531X)
- Sébastien Racinais (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0348-4744)
- Asimina Pitsiladis
- Nelda Nader
- Feriel Dalansi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8967-7919)
- Youmna Elsayed Hassanein
- Maha Al‐Mulla
- Mark Willems
- Paul Grandjean
- Nada Aldous
- Joseph Dossou
- Nada Khater
- Herald Miranda
- Fawzi Bendimerad
- Panagiotis Verdoukas
Institutions
- University of Technology Sydney (AU)
- Target (United States) (US)
- Hong Kong Baptist University (HK)
- Loughborough University (GB)
- English Institute of Sport (GB)
- Université de Montpellier (FR)
- Baptist College of Health Sciences (US)
- Loughborough College (GB)
- Northumbria University (GB)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR)
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier (FR)
- Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital (QA)
- Novametrics (United Kingdom) (GB)
- Laboratoire Montpelliérain d’Economie Théorique et Appliquée (FR)
- Institut Agro Montpelier (FR)
- Hamad bin Khalifa University (QA)
- University College London (GB)
- Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (NL)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- University of Amsterdam (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- European Journal of Sport Science
- Published
- 2025-08-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsc.70026
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Sports Performance and Training
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 6.89