Assessment of the Increased Risk of Infection Following an Ultratrail (INFultra)

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de la Réunion

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Infections; Immune Deficiency; Running

Treatments: Other: Ultra-trail

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06089174

2023/CHU/23

Details and patient eligibility

About

The increase in the practice of running has encouraged a proliferation of studies evaluating the impact of this sport on health. A number of these studies have looked at the influence of endurance events on the immune system. After prolonged exercise, a systemic inflammatory syndrome sets in, with repercussions for the functioning of the immune system. The number of lymphocytes in the blood is reduced, the function of natural killer (NK) cells is impaired and secretory immunity is impaired. During this period of immunosuppression, often referred to as the 'open window', the host may be more susceptible to micro-organisms that bypass the first line of defence.

The invetigators' hypothesis is therefore that ultratrailers are overexposed to the risk of infection due to immunodepression resulting from practising this sport. In order to support this hypothesis, the investigators would like to look at infectious complications in general and ear-nose and throat episodes (rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, etc.) in particular, which are the most common infections encountered in primary care, along with urinary tract infections.

Enrollment: 1,300 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• > 18 years
• Participating in a Grand Raid de la Réunion 2023 race (Mascareignes, Trail de Bourbon, Diagonale des Fous)
• Have a companion living under the same roof during the week preceding the race and the 21 days following the race and who agrees to answer the questionnaires
• Do not object to the research

Exclusion criteria

• Do not understand French
• A protected adult (guardianship or curatorship) or under court protection

Trial design

Primary purpose: Diagnostic

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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1,300 participants in 2 patient groups

Exposed (Runners)

Experimental group

Description:

Ultra-endurance runners taking part in an ultra-trail of 72 km, 109 km or 165 km

Treatment:

Other: Ultra-trail

Non-exposed (companions)

No Intervention group

Description:

Runners' companions not running