NUTRITIONAL, IMMUNOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO A 7250 KM RUN

Objective. Health, nutritional status, aerobic power, mood state and i mmune function were studied over 112 days of aerobic activity (a 7250 km cross-Canada run). Type of study. Case report: a healthy nulliparou s 43 yr old woman ran 65 km/day for 112 days at a 7.9 km/h pace. Measu res. Food intake, Profile of Mood State and Beck Depression Inventory were monitored weekly Resting lymphocyte subsets and cytokines were de termined before the run, at 3324, 5700 and 7250 km, and after recovery . Clinical data, ventilatory threshold, maximal oxygen intake and immu ne responses to maximal exercise were obtained before and after the ru n. Results. Early muscle pain was treated with Ibuprofen. A mild paron ychia responded to saline soaks, and exercise-induced asthma necessita ted inhalation of fenoterol hydrobromide, beclomethasone diproprionate and ipatropium bromide. Food intake, (16.7 MJ/day), was 4.3 MJ/day le ss than expenditure, covered by metabolizing 16.7 kg of tissue (81.4% fat, 18.6% lean tissue). Ventilatory threshold and aerobic power showe d little change. Initial psychological data showed tension and lack of confidence. Depression increased when crossing the Rockies, and there was anger and lack of vigor after the event. The CD8 count was low th roughout; the CD25 count increased, but the CD16/56 count, IL-6 and TN F-alpha decreased over the run. Three weeks later, IL-6 had increased, but TNF-alpha remained low. Conclusions. Given substantial fat reserv es, an exercise-induced energy deficit of 43 MJ/day can be sustained f or 112 days without significant adverse consequences for immune functi on.