Rozmiarek Mateusz
Department of Sports Tourism, Faculty of Physical Culture Sciences, Poznan University of Physical Education, 61-871 Poznan, Poland.
Nutrients. 2025 Jul 17;17(14):2339. doi: 10.3390/nu17142339.
Sports tourism, particularly international running events such as half marathons and marathons, has rapidly grown due to rising health consciousness and active lifestyles. Runners competing abroad face unique nutritional challenges that extend beyond physiological needs, including adaptation to local food cultures and psychosocial factors. This study aims to explore the nutritional difficulties encountered by international runners during competitions abroad, using participants of the Poznan Half Marathon 2025 as a case example. A qualitative research design was employed, involving semi-structured in-depth interviews with 12 international runners from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Ukraine. Participants had at least two years of experience competing internationally. Four primary categories of nutritional challenges emerged: (1) quality and availability of food, (2) adaptation to local eating habits and physiological impacts, (3) hydration and access to appropriate fluids, and (4) logistical factors and the interactions between psychological stress, physical well-being, and nutritional choices. These factors influenced runners' preparation, race-day performance, and recovery, highlighting the complexity of managing nutrition in unfamiliar environments. Nutritional challenges for international runners are multidimensional, requiring flexible and culturally sensitive nutritional strategies. Although these findings offer useful insights, they are based on a small, specific sample and should be generalized with caution. Further research is necessary to explore the broader applicability of the findings and their relevance to diverse athletic populations and contexts.
体育旅游，尤其是诸如半程马拉松和马拉松等国际跑步赛事，由于健康意识的提高和积极的生活方式而迅速发展。在国外参赛的跑步者面临着超出生理需求的独特营养挑战，包括适应当地饮食文化和社会心理因素。本研究旨在以2025年波兹南半程马拉松的参与者为例，探讨国际跑步者在国外比赛期间遇到的营养困难。采用了定性研究设计，对来自英国、德国和乌克兰的12名国际跑步者进行了半结构化深度访谈。参与者至少有两年的国际比赛经验。出现了四类主要的营养挑战：（1）食物的质量和可获得性，（2）适应当地饮食习惯和生理影响，（3）补水和获得合适的液体，以及（4）后勤因素以及心理压力、身体健康和营养选择之间的相互作用。这些因素影响了跑步者的准备、比赛日表现和恢复，凸显了在陌生环境中管理营养的复杂性。国际跑步者面临的营养挑战是多方面的，需要灵活且具有文化敏感性的营养策略。尽管这些发现提供了有用的见解，但它们基于一个小的特定样本，应谨慎推广。有必要进行进一步的研究，以探索这些发现的更广泛适用性及其与不同运动员群体和背景的相关性。
