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The Neuro-Cognitive Architecture of Endurance: A Meta-Analysis of Psychological Regulation and Pacing Strategy in Ultramarathon Performance

Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: The exponential growth of ultramarathon participation—increasing by over 345% in the last decade—has outpaced the scientific understanding of the unique psychophysiological demands required to sustain effort over durations ranging from six hours to multiple days.1 While traditional models of endurance performance emphasize physiological determinants such as maximal oxygen uptake (Vo2 max) and lactate threshold, recent scholarship suggests that success in ultra-endurance events is increasingly governed by psychological architecture and cognitive self-regulation.3 This meta-analysis synthesizes data from peer-reviewed literature, with a specific focus on the dual frameworks proposed by Thornton et al. (2023) regarding psychological indicators of success and effective pacing strategies. By integrating disparate findings on mental toughness, emotional intelligence, and executive function with quantitative data on pacing variability and sleep deprivation, this report proposes a unified Psycho-Pacing Model. This model posits that effective pacing in ultramarathons is not merely a physical discipline but a high-order executive function dependent on the preservation of cognitive resources, mood stability, and self-efficacy. The analysis reveals that while physiology sets the theoretical ceiling of performance, psychological factors—specifically the regulation of Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) and the maintenance of Self-Efficacy (SE)—determine the proximity to that ceiling, particularly in the latter stages of events exceeding 100 kilometers.
DOI: 10.17615/xk25-hs43
Language: English
Field: Psychology
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7130989435
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