| |||||||||||||||||
|
'26.2' - The Marathon Training Website: Is Marathon Running Bad For You?
From time to time, we see news reports about marathon running being bad for your heart and immune system. In one study reported in the American Journal of Cardiology, Dr. Arthur Siegel, director of Internal Medicine at McLean Hospital, found in a sample of marathon runners high levels of inflammatory and clotting factors of the kind that are known to set the stage for heart attack.
Does that mean you should hang up your running shoes? "No," says Dr. Charles Schulman, president of the American Running Association. "But we do need to understand more about marathon training and how the body reacts to stress" A Recent Study A study by the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia, showed that some athletes who participate in endurance events like marathons and triathlons showed some damage to the right ventricle of the heart. The good news is that the damage is generally reversible! Read this full CBC report about the study (opens in a new window), and then take our poll below to let us know what you think. What's Your opinion? Is Marathon running bad for you? Take the poll and see how others runners have responded.
Conclusion After a couple of weeks' responses it's clear that the majority of marathon runners (at least those reading this page) are not phased by the studies that suggest marathon running is bad for you. The overwhelming majority -80% - either thought that it's hard to generalize given everyone's different physical make-up or there is no conclusive evidence evidence based on studies so far. Way to go marathoners! I'm glad to see that only 1% of respondents said they would consider giving up running marathons. My own personal take is that it's OK as long as you do not over-stress your body. The secret then is to 'listen to your body' as a famous old marathoner (George Sheehan) used to say, and ease up if you're hurting or not feeling right.
|
Copyright © 2006 -2013 Ipcor.com All Rights Reserved. Home Contact Us About Marathon Training |