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CompletedNCT07522333PSYTRAIL-120Updated May 26, 2026

Psychological Impact of an 120-km Ultra-Endurance Race

An observational study in Healthy Adult Participants, sponsored by Centre Hospitalier Régional d'Orléans. Completed at 1 site in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-26.

Sponsored by Centre Hospitalier Régional d'Orléans · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
8
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Ultra-endurance races (ultra-marathons) take place under extreme environmental conditions, over long distances, involving prolonged physical activity and multiple psychological and physiological challenges.

These extreme conditions expose runners to a wide range of emotions-both pleasant and unpleasant-that can influence their performance, fatigue, and perception of exertion.

Emotional intelligence and emotional regulation appear to be key determinants of emotional trajectories and performance in these contexts. Previous research shows that high levels of emotional intelligence and adaptive emotional regulation strategies are associated with functional emotional trajectories and better performance, whereas maladaptive strategies are linked to dysfunctional emotional trajectories and reduced performance.

Furthermore, defense mechanisms constitute a complementary approach to emotional self-regulation. They can be adaptive or maladaptive and influence how runners cope with emotions and psychological stressors during competition.

Longitudinal studies conducted to date have primarily explored post-race emotional trajectories in relation to emotional intelligence, without examining the impact of defense mechanisms on emotional dynamics during the race. Furthermore, few studies have examined the mediating role of emotional intensity between emotional regulation and perceived performance, and even fewer have adopted an approach that integrates physiological indicators such as heart rate or heart rate variability.

Thus, this study lies at the intersection of sports psychology, emotion, and physiology, and aims to fill these gaps by exploring:

  1. the influence of defense mechanisms on emotional dynamics and physical and mental fatigue during an ultra-endurance race, and
  2. the mediating role of emotional intensity on the relationship between emotional regulation and perceived performance.

The objective of this study is to examine how certain psychological mechanisms used to cope with difficult situations influence the evolution of emotions experienced by participants during and after a 120-kilometer ultra-endurance race.

Read the detailed description

A descriptive, non-interventional, longitudinal exploratory study of healthy, able-bodied participants of both sexes, based on the completion of self-administered questionnaires on a tablet before, during (kilometers 16, 41, 56, 68, 89, and 112) and at the finish line (120th kilometer) of the "Ecotrail de Paris Ile de France 120 kilometers" ultra-trail race taking place on March 21, 2026

02

Conditions studied

  • Healthy Adult Participants

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Keywords

  • Ultra endurance
  • Running
  • Psychological
  • Impact
03

In context

Tooth, Impacted

122 studies on the registry are indexed under Tooth, Impacted; 15 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 8 is below the median of 105 across 31 observational studies indexed under Tooth, Impacted.

Browse Tooth, Impacted studies →

Lead sponsor

Centre Hospitalier Régional d'Orléans is the lead sponsor of 132 studies on the registry; 32 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Healthy, able-bodied participants of both sexes, participating to the "Ecotrail de Paris Ile de France 120 kilometers" ultra-trail race taking place on March 21, 2026

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Individuals who have agreed to participate in the study
  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Smartwatch capable of measuring heart rate and transmitting this data
  • Subject with no significant medical history (chronic pulmonary disease, heart disease contraindicating Class IIIC exercise according to the Bethesda classification, pharmacologically treated hypertension, or significant chronic inflammatory disease)
  • Participation in the "Ecotrail de Paris Ile de France 120 kilometers" ultra trail taking place on March 21, 2026.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Persons under legal guardianship or conservatorship
  • Persons under judicial protection
  • Persons deprived of liberty
  • Persons not enrolled in a social security system
  • Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding at the time of enrollment
05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
8 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Healthy adults participants

    Other: Completion on a tablet of self-administered questionnaires about their emotions/feelings

Interventions

  • OtherCompletion on a tablet of self-administered questionnaires about their emotions/feelings

    Completion on a tablet of self-administered questionnaires about their emotions/feelings before, during (kilometers 16, 41, 56, 68, 89, and 112), and at the finish line (120th kilometer) of the "Ecotrail de Paris Ile de France 120 kilometers" ultra-trail race taking place on March 21, 2026.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Examination of the influence of defense mechanisms on the emotional dynamics observed during and following an ultra-endurance race

    Defense mechanisms will be assessed before the race using the Defense Style Questionnaire - 26 (DSQ-26). Scale from 1 to 6, with 1 being "never" and 6 being "always".

    Time frame: During kilometers 16, 41, 56, 68, 89, and 112 (up to 5 minutes per stop), and at the finish line 120th kilometer (up to 8 minutes)"

Secondary outcomes

  1. Evaluation of physical and mental fatigue before, during and after the race

    Physical and mental fatigue will be assessed before the race, during the race using a visual analog scale (VAS). Scale from 0 to 10, 10 being the worst score.

    Time frame: During kilometers 16, 41, 56, 68, 89, and 112 (up to 5 minutes per stop), and at the finish line 120th kilometer (up to 8 minutes)"

  2. Exploration of the relationships between emotional regulation strategies and runners' perceived performance

    Emotional regulation will be assessed before the race using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being "never" and 5 being "always".

    Time frame: During kilometers 16, 41, 56, 68, 89, and 112 (up to 5 minutes per stop), and at the finish line 120th kilometer (up to 8 minutes)"

  3. Exploration of emotion regulation strategies and runners' perceived exertion

    Perceived exertion will be assessed using the perceived exertion scale (Borg CR10 - modified version). Scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst score.

    Time frame: During kilometers 16, 41, 56, 68, 89, and 112 (up to 5 minutes per stop), and at the finish line 120th kilometer (up to 8 minutes)"

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Orléans
    Orléans, Loiret 45100, France
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Nieman DC, Davis JM, Brown VA, Henson DA, Dumke CL, Utter AC, Vinci DM, Downs MF, Smith JC, Carson J, Brown A, McAnulty SR, McAnulty LS. Influence of carbohydrate ingestion on immune changes after 2 h of intensive resistance training. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2004 Apr;96(4):1292-8. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01064.2003. Epub 2003 Dec 12. PubMed 14672962 ↗
  • Parry D, Chinnasamy C, Papadopoulou E, Noakes T, Micklewright D. Cognition and performance: anxiety, mood and perceived exertion among Ironman triathletes. Br J Sports Med. 2011 Nov;45(14):1088-94. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2010.072637. Epub 2010 Jun 11. PubMed 20542977 ↗
  • Terry DP, Brassil M, Iverson GL, Panenka WJ, Silverberg ND. Effect of depression on cognition after mild traumatic brain injury in adults. Clin Neuropsychol. 2019 Jan;33(1):124-136. doi: 10.1080/13854046.2018.1459853. Epub 2018 May 4. PubMed 29726314 ↗
  • Alquraini H, Auchus RJ. Strategies that athletes use to avoid detection of androgenic-anabolic steroid doping and sanctions. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2018 Mar 15;464:28-33. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.01.028. Epub 2017 Jan 24. PubMed 28130115 ↗
  • Karlsson EM, Johnstone LT, Carey DP. The depth and breadth of multiple perceptual asymmetries in right handers and non-right handers. Laterality. 2019 Nov;24(6):707-739. doi: 10.1080/1357650X.2019.1652308. Epub 2019 Aug 9. PubMed 31399020 ↗
  • Ivarsson A, Andersen MB, Stenling A, Johnson U, Lindwall M. Things we still haven't learned (so far). J Sport Exerc Psychol. 2015 Aug;37(4):449-61. doi: 10.1123/jsep.2015-0015. PubMed 26442774 ↗
  • Bowins B. Psychological defense mechanisms: a new perspective. Am J Psychoanal. 2004 Mar;64(1):1-26. doi: 10.1023/B:TAJP.0000017989.72521.26. PubMed 14993839 ↗
  • Rauch TM, Tharion WJ, Strowman SR, Shukitt BL. Psychological factors associated with performance in the ultramarathon. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 1988 Sep;28(3):237-46. No abstract available. PubMed 3230905 ↗
  • Vaillant GE, Bond M, Vaillant CO. An empirically validated hierarchy of defense mechanisms. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1986 Aug;43(8):786-94. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1986.01800080072010. PubMed 3729674 ↗
  • Bond M. Empirical studies of defense style: relationships with psychopathology and change. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2004 Sep-Oct;12(5):263-78. doi: 10.1080/10673220490886167. PubMed 15590575 ↗
  • Wagstaff CR. Emotion regulation and sport performance. J Sport Exerc Psychol. 2014 Aug;36(4):401-12. doi: 10.1123/jsep.2013-0257. PubMed 25226609 ↗
  • Martinent G, Decret JC. Coping profiles of young Athletes in their everyday life: A three-wave two-month study. Eur J Sport Sci. 2015;15(8):736-47. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2015.1051131. Epub 2015 Aug 20. PubMed 26289726 ↗
  • Garnefski N, Kraaij V, van Etten M. Specificity of relations between adolescents' cognitive emotion regulation strategies and Internalizing and Externalizing psychopathology. J Adolesc. 2005 Oct;28(5):619-31. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2004.12.009. Epub 2005 Feb 25. PubMed 16203199 ↗
  • Levillain G, Martinent G, Nicolas M. Longitudinal trajectories of intensity and direction of emotions among athletes in sports competitions: do defense mechanisms matter? Anxiety Stress Coping. 2025 Jul;38(4):379-393. doi: 10.1080/10615806.2024.2394800. Epub 2024 Aug 30. PubMed 39211985 ↗
  • Pearson H. Physiology: freaks of nature? Nature. 2006 Dec 21;444(7122):1000-1. doi: 10.1038/4441000a. No abstract available. PubMed 17183290 ↗
  • Noakes TD. The limits of endurance exercise. Basic Res Cardiol. 2006 Sep;101(5):408-17. doi: 10.1007/s00395-006-0607-2. Epub 2006 Aug 18. PubMed 16915533 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 26, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07522333
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Apr 13, 2026
Start date
Mar 21, 2026
Primary completion
Mar 21, 2026
Completion
Mar 21, 2026
Last update
May 26, 2026

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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