Working Memory Performance is Reduced after a Marathon Race and Associated with Low Energy Availability in Females.
Purpose: We tested the hypothesis that marathon racing reduces working memory performance and increases frontal theta activity in trained female endurance athletes. We further examined whether changes in cognitive performance or brain activity were associated with either acute and/or chronic risk of...
| Publicado en: | Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Vol. 58; no. 6; pp. 1246 - 1259 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Jun2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=193817402&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 193817402 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 01959131 4DP jtl: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise issn: 01959131 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Jun2026 vid: 58 iid: 6 pid: 433 pub: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins place: Baltimore, Maryland artinfo: ui: 193817402 193817402 193817402 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003937 193817402 ppf: 1246 ppct: 13 formats: tig: atl: Working Memory Performance is Reduced after a Marathon Race and Associated with Low Energy Availability in Females. aug: au: BOERE, KATHERINE YOUNG, NEVAN DAUPHINEE, RAE COPITHORNE, FRANCES KIRBY, BRETT S. KRIGOLSON, OLAVE E. STELLINGWERFF, TRENT affil: The Department of Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, CANADA sug: subj: Athletes, Female Memory, Short Term Evaluation Running, Distance Frontal Lobe Physiology Cognition Risk Assessment Energy Intake Energy Metabolism Human Female Questionnaires Funding Source Victoria British Columbia Surveys Adult Middle Age Task Performance and Analysis Reaction Time Validity Electroencephalography Mobile Applications Oxygen Consumption Anthropometry Sporting Events Body Mass Index Evaluation Fluid Intake Evaluation Pretest-Posttest Design Repeated Measures Two-Way Analysis of Variance Two-Tailed Test Paired T-Tests Post Hoc Analysis Pearson's Correlation Coefficient Bivariate Statistics Multiple Linear Regression Data Analysis Software Dietary Carbohydrates Analysis Time Factors Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Female ab: Purpose: We tested the hypothesis that marathon racing reduces working memory performance and increases frontal theta activity in trained female endurance athletes. We further examined whether changes in cognitive performance or brain activity were associated with either acute and/or chronic risk of low energy availability. Methods: Sixteen female Tier 2 runners (42 ± 9 yr; VO2max 45.6 ± 6 mL·kg−¹·min−¹) underwent VO2max testing and the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q) 7–14 d before a marathon. Participants completed 1-back (low-load) and 3-back (high-load) working memory tasks during electroencephalogram recordings, performed before and immediately after the race (<10 min). Accuracy and reaction time measured cognitive performance, and frontal theta power measured cognitive effort. Results: Sixteen runners completed the marathon in 4:16 ± 37 min (70 ± 6% VO2max), with a mean carbohydrate intake of 28 ± 14 g·h−1. Six athletes exceeded the LEAF-Q threshold (≥8) and eight reported menstrual dysfunction. Postrace, 3-back accuracy declined (−18.8%, P = 0.003) while reaction time shortened for both task versions (5.3%–6.6%, P = 0.002). Frontal theta increased postrace (1-back: +26.8%; 3-back: +29.6%, P < 0.001). Regression models showed that 3-back accuracy changes were predicted by LEAF-Q score (β = 0.494, P = 0.016). In contrast, theta increases were predicted by a combination of lower carbohydrate intake (β = −0.025, P = 0.005), longer race time (β = 0.008, P = 0.005), and higher LEAF-Q score (β = 0.121, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Working memory performance is reduced and cognitive effort is increased after marathon racing in trained female athletes. These effects are linked to both acute and chronic risk of low energy availability, emphasizing the need for individualized fueling strategies to preserve cognitive performance during endurance events. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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