Background: Assessing sleep quality is essential in sports science, particularly in ultra-endurance sports, where recovery is critical for performance and health. Objective: This study aimed to identify sleep quality patterns among endurance and ultra-endurance athletes using hierarchical clustering analysis, with comparisons by sex and modality. Method: Data were collected during the La Misión Brasil competitions in 2023 and 2024, using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The questionnaire was emailed to all registered runners two weeks before the event. A total of 490 athletes participated, including 276 men (mean ± SD age: 43 ± 11 years) and 214 women (mean ± SD age: 43 ± 13 years). Statistical analyses included Cohen’s d and r effect sizes, and a 95% confidence interval for hypothesis testing. Residuals between-cluster proportions were assessed within a range of −3.3, ensuring a 99.7% confidence level for significant differences. Results: The results showed that endurance runners had better sleep quality, with most scoring low on the PSQI. In contrast, ultra-endurance athletes displayed greater variability, with a higher prevalence of poor sleep quality, particularly in women. Conclusions: The hierarchical clustering method effectively identified distinct sleep patterns, providing insights into the dynamics of recovery and performance. These findings highlight the impact of increased physical and psychological demands in ultra-endurance sports and emphasize the need for tailored sleep monitoring strategies to optimize the recovery and performance of athletes.

Trail running has seen a surge in participants, including individuals with disabilities, particularly in ultratrail running (UTRs). Sleep–wake patterns are crucial for optimal performances in UTRs, which present unique physiological and behavioral challenges. This case study evaluated the sleep–wake cycle of a blind trail ultramarathoner (BTR) and his guide (GTR) before, during, and after an 80 km UTR. Two male participants (BTR: 54 years, BMI: 26.1 kg/m²; GTR: 48 years, BMI: 24.2 kg/m²) were assessed using validated questionnaires (MEQ, ESS, ISI, and PSQI) and actigraphy over 35 days. The BTR exhibited a morning chronotype (MEQ = 63), mild insomnia (ISI = 11), poor sleep quality (PSQI = 5), and prolonged sleep latency (>60 min), while the GTR showed an indifferent chronotype (MEQ = 52), good sleep quality (PSQI = 3), and shorter latency (10 min). Post-competition, both athletes experienced an increased total sleep time (TST): the BTR by 17.8% (05:32:00 vs. 04:25:00) and the GTR by 5.5% (07:01:00 vs. 06:39:00). The BTR demonstrated a greater Wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO 01:00:00 vs. 00:49:00) and awakenings (15.4 vs. 6.1). A time series analysis revealed greater variability in the BTR’s post-competition sleep efficiency and TST, while the GTR exhibited a greater stability of the circadian phase. These findings highlight the intricate sleep challenges faced by blind athletes, informing strategies to optimize recovery and performance.

A população está cada vez mais envolvida em atividades que exigem menos esforço físico e priorizam mais tempo na posição sentada. A atividade física (AF), por sua vez, possui enorme potencial redutor no desenvolvimento de doenças crônicas. A COVID-19, síndrome respiratória aguda grave, impactou drasticamente os hábitos dos indivíduos, diminuindo os níveis globais de AF e aumentando a prevalência de tempo sentado. O presente estudo identifica e compara os níveis de AF de estudantes universitários brasileiros antes e durante a pandemia da COVID-19, bem como alterações no comportamento sedentário. A amostra foi composta por 915 estudantes de graduação de uma universidade pública do Brasil. Foram aplicados online o Questionário Internacional de Atividade Física (IPAQ) na sua versão curta e o questionário adaptado da Fiocruz. Foram analisados os níveis de Caminhada, Atividade Física Moderada e Atividade Física Vigorosa antes e durante a pandemia. Para analisar as frequências das variáveis relacionadas e comparar o nível de AF entre momentos distintos (antes versus durante a pandemia), foi utilizado o teste de McNemar. Os níveis de AF foram denominados M1 antes da pandemia e M2 durante a pandemia. Da amostra total, 57% eram mulheres. Antes da pandemia, 34,9% da amostra não atingia a recomendação para a Caminhada, enquanto durante a pandemia essa porcentagem aumentou para 80,2% dos estudantes, com a maioria sendo mulheres. O comportamento sedentário diário foi maior durante os dias de semana em comparação com os dias de final de semana. Como conclusão, o padrão de sedentarismo antes da pandemia em jovens adultos universitários já era elevado, sendo ampliado durante a pandemia.

Introduction: Endurance and ultra-endurance running impose substantial physical and psychological demands, leading athletes to experience intense emotional states before, during, and after competitions. Accordingly, there is a paucity of evidence comparing mood profiles between endurance and ultra-endurance runners competing in trail and mountain events. Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the mood profile of endurance and ultra-endurance runners participating in La Misión Brasil 2024 and to analyze its relationship with sleep quality. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study included 193 runners, divided into an endurance group (n = 118; men = 75; women = 43) and an ultra-endurance group (n = 75; men = 60; women = 15), who participated in the same competition according to the proposed distances. La Misión Brasil is a trail running event with race distances ranging from 25 to 80 km and substantial elevation gain. One week prior to the competition, participants completed questionnaires assessing mood state, anxiety, psychological health, and sleep quality. Comparisons between groups (endurance group vs. ultra-endurance group) and sexes were performed using independent t -tests, Mann–Whitney tests, and generalized linear models, whereas associations were examined using Spearman's correlation. Results: The results indicated higher vigor levels in the ultra-endurance group (p = 0.020) and greater overall fatigue in the endurance group (p = 0.027). Regarding sex differences, men exhibited higher vigor (p = 0.004), whereas women presented higher total mood disturbance and anxiety scores (trait anxiety and state anxiety; p < 0.05). Correlational analyses revealed that poorer sleep quality scores were moderately associated with higher total mood disturbance (r ² = 0.45) and anxiety levels (trait anxiety: r ² = 0.47; state anxiety: r ² = 0.48). Additionally, strong correlations were observed between negative mood states, total mood disturbance, and anxiety (r ² > 0.50). Conclusions: Overall, endurance and ultra-endurance runners demonstrated a favorable mood profile; however, the psychological demands of these modalities are associated with relevant interactions between sleep, mood, and anxiety.