On Sunday, tens of thousands of professional and amateur runners will
hit the streets of Britain's capital for the London Marathon, one of the
world’s most prestigious long-distance running races.But while any
doctor can tell us the benefits of exercise, there are some experts who
believe that marathon-length runs - just over 26 miles - are too extreme
for the average runner, and can be dangerous.To get more
marathon length, you can visit shine news official website.
Virgin, which sponsors the London Marathon, says that “running is good
for the heart” and stresses that more than one million people have
safely completed the marathon in its 38-year history, but acknowledges
that there have still been “several fatalities from serious heart
disease in runners apparently unaware that they had a problem”.
Since the first event in 1981, a total of 12 participants have died, the
most recent of whom was former Masterchef semi-finalist Matt
Campbell.Campbell collapsed and died during last year’s marathon, when
temperatures hit an all-time high for the event.This news was followed
just a few months later by reports that two men had died after
collapsing at the finish line of the Cardiff Half Marathon in October
2018.
The competitors, aged 25 and 32, “went into cardiac arrest after
crossing the finishing line within three minutes of each other, at about
12.25pm”, reports the BBC.Given the number of people who take part in
such races each year, just how dangerous is long-distance running?
How safe are marathons?
The BBC reports that most of the casualties that occur during a race
concern minor injuries, like pulled muscles, sprains and strains. These
tend to heal quickly and on their own.
The broadcaster adds that dehydration is the biggest problem that
marathon runners have to overcome. “In a hard race on a hot and humid
day, up to four litres of fluid can be lost through sweating and
exhalation,” it says. “It is important for runners to keep well
hydrated.”
But an increasing number of studies are now linking long-distance
running with sudden heart conditions and issues that were undetected
previously, even if there is no family history of similar health issues.
In a study published in December in the journal Circulation, researchers
in Spain revealed that full marathons may put significant strain on the
heart. In order to do this, the team measured substances that can
signal stress and found higher levels in runners who covered the classic
26.2 mile (42.2 kilometres) marathon distance compared with those who
raced shorter distances such as a half-marathon or 10K, Health24
reports.
A study presented to the American College of Cardiology in 2009 found
that the risk of sudden death during a marathon is 0.8 per 100,000
people. By comparison, the report found that triathlons – which ask
users to complete three sequential endurance races in swimming, running
and cycling – have a significantly higher risk of sudden death at 1.5 in
100,000. To put this into perspective, the risk of dying in childbirth
in the UK in 2012 was 8.6 in 100,000 births, according to The Daily
Telegraph.
How does it affect the heart?
A number of independent studies have found that marathons appear to
cause damage to the heart in the short term, but researchers are unsure
whether the effects are lasting. Some note that there are cardiovascular
advantages to regular running. “Being fit is protective,” Dr James
Freeman, a fellow in cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University
School of Medicine told The New York Times. Professor Sanjay Sharma,
medical director for the London Marathon, told the BBC that most people
who have died during the London marathon have had previous heart
conditions or heart disease.
The Wall