A study performed by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada found that marathon running can damage the heart of less trained runners. The good news is that the damage was reversible, but could take up to three months to fully recover.
Researchers used an MRI to examine the effects of marathon running on the heart, and determined that runners with less training and exercise capacity were at greater risk for damaging their heart.
Dr. Eric Larose fully evaluated runners six to eight weeks before and immediately after they ran a marathon. The evaluation included exercise tests, blood analysis, and magnetic resonance imaging.
“What we did notice in this study is a runner with less preparation before the marathon had lower V02 max, so they had lower exercise capacity. Compared to those runners with better training, they became more dehydrated and their hearts showed greater signs of injury. The less well trained runners also experienced greater loss of function associated with lower blood flow and greater irritation of heart segments.”
So what’s the moral of the story? This research focused on amateur runners with less training. You should be cleared by your doctor before partaking in any exercise program, especially one as rigorous as marathon training, but this study highlights the importance of being properly trained and prepared before doing so.
The study shows that runners who had lower VO2 Maxes prior to running the marathon were at greater risk of heart damage than those with better exercise capacity. They also became more dehydrated.
It’s no secret that I am not crazy about marathons or any type of extended, low intensity aerobic exercise modality. There is a lot of research indicating that the risks of running a marathon may outweigh the benefits. The bottom line, however, is if you are going to try it out, make sure you are adequately trained and prepared.
Source:
Medical News Today, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/205827.php
Stroke Foundation of Canada
{ 1 trackback }