Older ultramarathon runners less injury prone

Experienced ultramarathon runners seem to be more resilient to injury than their younger peers.

A new study has found that older ultramarathon runners are less susceptible to injury than younger ultramarathon runners.

The study, published in PLOS ONE, had 1,212 ultra runners self-report their illnesses and injuries. Almost 95 per cent of participants had ran an ultramarathon in the previous 12 months. It found the older an ultramarathon runner was the less-likely they were to suffer from injuries and miss days of work.

In general, most runners reported some type of running-related injury in the previous 12 months, but the number of days missed were very low suggesting the injuries were not serious.

The researchers suggest the reason the older runners seem more resilient may be that they they have adapted more over years in the sport to running on uneven surfaces and and terrain or that they have unique characteristics which have allowed them more longevity in the sport; they are predisposed to being able to avoid injuries other runners suffer from.

The study also found that, although generally healthy, ultramarathoners were more susceptible to asthma and allergies than the general population.