Ultramarathon runners and support crew: The influence of pre-race sleep and training profiles on performance in a 217-km mountain race

The present study evaluates the effects of pre -race sleep and training characteristics among ultra -athletes and support crew, and the influence of these factors on the athlete 's performance in a 217 -km ultramarathon. A total of 38 ultramarathon runners and 59 support crew members were assessed. The participants answered questionnaires about chronotype, sleep quality, sleepiness, basic demographics, and pre -race training. The clinical trial registration number is RBR-7j6d23v. The results showed that athletes and support crew had a morning -type chronotype and good sleep efficiency; most had poor -quality sleep. The athletes who finished the race had a higher sleep latency than non -finishers ( p < 0.001). The quality of sleep may have impacted performance because the athletes with good sleep quality trained one day more per week than those without (p < 0.001), and training frequency was highly correlated with the race time (r = -0.59). These findings are novel, expand the data about sleep, training, and performance in an ultramarathon, and innovate by addressing the support crew.