Running Marathons may be BAD for your health....

Today's post, Tuesday, 3-16-2010

Every so often, you’ll read of people who run for exercise normally who are running in a race of several miles or a Marathon who die or perhaps recover from a heart attack they had during the race.

Dr Al Sears for some good bit of time has pointed out that for most people much more moderate longer exercise like walking or MUCH briefer but more vigorous bursts of exercise with rests or a much easier pace in between is far better for your heart than exercises like running Marathons.

And, I’ve known that this kind of interval cardio is the fastest way to get fit. Further, I’ve recently posted on how this kind of exercise can be done so time efficiently that almost everyone can do enough to get real benefit.

Now the research has just come out. Not only does running Marathons at your fastest pace put you at risk for heart attacks DURING your run from the overtaxing of your heart without any breaks, but that kind of running may help CAUSE high blood pressure and heart disease that will put you at risk later even when you aren’t running!

This was in last Saturday’s online health news.:

“Marathoners Face Greater Risk of Artery Problems

SATURDAY, March 13, 2010 (HealthDay News)”

".... according to new research by Greek doctors who found that marathon runners have increased stiffness of the large arteries, suggesting that some types of high-intensity exercise may actually be bad for the heart, potentially leading to hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, heart attack and even death.

"Our data suggest that exercise may have an inverted U-shape relation with arterial stiffness. In other words, when you do not exercise you have higher risk of cardiovascular events, but the same also happens when you exercise too much," study lead investigator Dr. Despina Kardara, of Athens Medical School, Hippokration Hospital, said in a news release.

"Regular long-term endurance training is generally beneficial for heart health, but it seems that the cardiovascular system is like a sports car engine. If you do not use it, it will decay, but if you run it too fast for too long, you might burn it out."

“The findings were presented Saturday at the American College of Cardiology's annual scientific session, in Atlanta.”

A. So, for starters, for good health and for most people, walking much shorter distances than Marathon length, interval cardio, and strength training are far better ways to be fit, strong, and healthy than running Marathons!

You can do those things in a brief enough time to do them AND have a life and demanding work for one thing.

B. But, what if you do WANT to run longer distances? Or do it safely?

Might there be a way to do it safely?

Maybe.

1. One key is running in a way that enables you to cover long distances without overtaxing your heart.

In the book, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, he does a good job showing that people may even be genetically adapted to do this to some extent.

But the people who do it safely don’t just run a steady but brutal pace. The Tehamara Indians of Mexico who he studied do it far differently. They build up to it by running FOR PLAY at varying speeds and over varied terrain. And, they run in an unusually smooth and low impact way either barefooted or with very stable and light footwear.

They make unusually smooth interval cardio out of running long distances. So from a young age, their hearts have the capacity to do more plus their running style puts far less stress on it even if their runs cover many, many miles.

They also eat in a way that completely avoids them carrying any excess weight.

To repeat, my best suggestion is that for exercise, stick to much briefer interval cardio, strength training, and walking much shorter distances than Marathon length.

You can fit it in and still have a life and a demanding career besides.

But, if you WANT to run long distances, do yourself and your heart a favor and read and study the book Born to RUN. (http://www.amazon.com has it.)

(This is also a superb book for anyone who wants to do ANY running for exercise.

Why do it if you always get overuse injuries and always have to stop and then repeat the process over and over?

This book suggests running without injury IS possible and does have some good ideas as to how to make it happen.)

2. The second key is to do everything possible to protect your heart and keep your arteries flexible in other ways.:

Drink grape juice in moderation. Take supplements such as L-Arginine and grape seed extract that promote flexible arteries. Eat lots of kinds of berries each week.

Use some kind of program that works for permanent fat loss BEFORE you push too hard at running long distances if you have any fat to lose.

Use much briefer interval cardio, strength training, and walking much shorter distances than Marathon length

Do shorter runs such as two to six miles as you get in shape and lose fat and until you can simulate the running style of the Tehamara Indians of Mexico.

AND, eat right, exercise, and take the effective supplements until your HDL, LDL, triglycerides, and blood sugars are in the desirable zone or at least out of the riskier or danger zones –

And of most importance, do each of these BEFORE you do any running of over 5 or 6 miles.

People who do all these things might be safe running long distances.

For good health, no one else should do very long distance runs or races according to this research.