HIGHLIGHTS OF FINDINGS, 2007 ING GA MARATHON/HALF-MARATHON STUDY

(GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES)

About one in eight registered participants (2,073 of 16,903) participated in our on-line survey, which was available from February 19-29 until March 26, 2007. About one in seven registered participants (221 of 2,073) participated in our sub-studies, which included measured and self-reported height, weight and body mass index (BMI), lung function measures, and knowledge and awareness of proper, recommended practices regarding nutrition, hydration and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (“NSAIDs”).

Here are some of our numerous findings, which have been submitted to various journals and professional societies for potential publication and/or were first accepted for presentations at annual meetings held throughout North America in May-October 2008.

· While most participants had normal BMI, 1-in-8 changed health-related BMI categorization based on self-reported versus measured data; nine people appeared healthier. We used BMI categories based on current federal clinical guidelines.

· While the majority of the athletes have done some type of endurance events before, many were relatively new to running and/or walking endurance events:

• Of the marathon registrants, about one in four participants--across gender and by gender--were doing their first marathon.
• Of the half-marathon registrants, about two in five participants--about 39% female and about 38% male--were doing their first half-marathon.

· 113 runners were tested at the marathon expo before and then as many of them as possible after the marathon at the finish line if they volunteered again:

o Approximately 60% (n= 68) were competing in the half-marathon, and about 40% (n=45) in the marathon, as self-designated runners or walkers;

o Ages ranged from 15-72, with 45% male, 42% female, (12% missing data);

o The majority of these participating runners were white (72%).

· Spirometry data, using paired sample t-tests per participant, suggested post-measures of FEV₁, FVC, and FEV₁/FVC were significantly lower than pre-measures (p<0.05).

o Female marathon runners had significantly higher FEV₁ change scores than did male runners (p<0.05).

o When full marathon runners were compared with half marathon runners, the results suggested full marathon runners were significantly higher on the FVC change measure than half marathon runners (p<0.05).

o Pearson correlations showed no statistically significant relationship between age of runners and any of the four measured changes in lung function.

· Given the majority of registered participants, and official finishers, in 2007 were from the southeastern U.S., and predominantly from the state of Georgia, and since most people did their regular and long training runs outdoors, we examined available (from continuous monitoring stations) outdoor air quality data for pollutants like particles and ozone (the major component of photochemical smog) subject to federal and state regulation. These data, together with other variables like wind and temperature, form the Air Quality Index. In the newspaper and on the Internet, this is when you see if the forecast is for a green, yellow, orange or red “air alert” day. Data throughout Georgia for five months from November 1, 2006 through March 26, 2007 suggested many registered participants likely may not have been prepared for the hotter, drier conditions of race weekend, especially in Atlanta, because it would have been hard to rapidly acclimate to outdoor conditions and pollutions levels so different from the colder winter months with lower pollution levels (“green” day) typically driven by particles, not ozone.