Marathon Running can 'scar' your heart, new research warns.

[spatzcat]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9308812/Marathon-running-can-scar-the-heart-researchers-warn..html

yikes.

[mandy75]

Fauja Singh, the oldest marathon runner, he's 101. He completed his race in seven hours and 49 minutes, that was last month I believe. He seems ok..lol

[ETFnerd]

i think that most people believe that marathon running is very taxing on your body... especially if you aren't properly trained as most people who participate tend to be... like all things, you have to be careful and take appropriate safeguards...

[This is Seth]

Breathing is believed to cause death. At least everyone who has ever taken a breath, has died.

[ETFnerd]

Breathing is believed to cause death. At least everyone who has ever taken a breath, has died.

i haven't died...

[This is Seth]

Only a matter of time, friend-o... it takes longer to affect some people than others.

Empirical evidence backs me up on this one.

[ETFnerd]

i'll believe it when it happens... historical data does not predict future results... and correlation is not causation...

[Xanthe]

and correlation is not causation...

That would be exactly his point.

[Xanthe]

Also.... The fact that there are no proper citations actually used here makes me a bit wary. Honestly I think it's to make people feel better about not working out harder/longer.

[maegs]

I saw a story about this on the news tonight, and the runner they were interviewing has run something like 260 marathons. I forget how many he's run this year, but it said he's planning on doing 12 more. It seems that they're looking at the extreme end of the scale rather than at the average marathoner or athlete.

[SeanFitzgerald]

Everything I am about to say is just my own thoughts on the subject.

I'm going to be in the minority here, but I seriously don't think running a marathon is healthy for you. Constant running for 3 hours? Did our paleolithic ancestors seriously run like this? I highly doubt it. They probably walked long distances, did some jogging, and sprinted. However, I think the training for the marathon makes someone much healthier than if they didn't train. So it might be more beneficial because of that, BUT the act of running 26.2 miles as fast as possible doesn't seem to be healthy for your muscles and joints. The reason why the marathon is famous because the guy who ran it DIED (I know it's probably not true, but it makes me think).

I also just finished working for the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and I can confidently say that many people who looked like they were in better than average shape were getting beat by fat people purely because the fat people had trained for the event. It just doesn't pass the eye test. I know ALL of this is anecdotal, but I don't think we can dismiss this readily.

http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/2266764/reload=0;jsessionid=61tSTLgghYJhUX8ZJXaJ.0

This is a scientific article that shows that marathoners have a higher chance of getting sick after the race. (I wasn't able to read the original article to confirm the abstract, but considering how it has been cited 349 times, I think it's reliable)

[BarefootDawsy]

i'll believe it when it happens... historical data does not predict future results... and correlation is not causation...

I plan on living forever....so far so good...

[Kishi]

I plan on living forever....so far so good...

Clearly, you aren't breathing.

[ETFnerd]

Clearly, you aren't breathing.

perfectly logical mr. spock... hahaha...

[jdanger]

It's been a theme lately but it is as true for endurance sports as it is any other. Extreme performance is always paid for by at least the potential for adaptations that aren't optimal for long term survival. The potential deleterious morphological changes to the heart caused by extreme endurance exercise are well documented.

The benefits of exercise are very much dose dependent. Running an hour a day five, six times a week? Knock it out. Training for and running in several ultras in a year? You aren't doing yourself any favors on the longevity side and a lot of people who do it understand that. There's something to be said for living.

[msuroo]

I'm going to be in the minority here, but I seriously don't think running a marathon is healthy for you.

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but I'm going to run one anyway. Why? I like running. It will be a cool thing to say I've accomplished. And since when do we always make the choices that line up with optimum long-term health? I drink a nice craft brew every now and then, even though that isn't healthy for me either.

There's something to be said for living.

Ok, so jdanger said it better than I did, and in way less words.

[BarefootDawsy]

This pretty much sums up my feelings on the subject:

http://vanessaruns.com/2012/06/05/ultra-marathons-are-bad-for-my-heart-i-dont-give-a-shit/

[msuroo]

This pretty much sums up my feelings on the subject:

http://vanessaruns.com/2012/06/05/ultra-marathons-are-bad-for-my-heart-i-dont-give-a-shit/

Quality .

[morethanjustamom]

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but I'm going to run one anyway. Why? I like running. It will be a cool thing to say I've accomplished. And since when do we always make the choices that line up with optimum long-term health? I drink a nice craft brew every now and then, even though that isn't healthy for me either.

Ok, so jdanger said it better than I did, and in way less words.

Life is short. I'm shooting for 100 years minimum, but I've already used up 32 of those. I would rather be able to say at the end of my time that I ran ultras, dove with sharks, climbed mountains and saw things that took my breath away, rather than stayed at home for fear of what those activities might do to my body and/or health.

My mother in law suddenly contracted cancer at 52 and didn't even live two months after her diagnosis. I think of her, and all the things she never got to see and do, when I'm faced with the choice of living a full life or playing it safe.

[msuroo]

Life is short. I'm shooting for 100 years minimum, but I've already used up 32 of those. I would rather be able to say at the end of my time that I ran ultras, dove with sharks, climbed mountains and saw things that took my breath away, rather than stated home for fear of what those activities might do to my body and/or health.

My mother in law suddenly contracted cancer at 52 and didn't even live two months after her diagnosis. I think of her, and all the things she never got to see and do, when I'm faced with the choice of living a full life or playing it safe.

I'm hoping to cross this one off the list in August . I'm not sure I'll ever run an ultra, but I'm planning on a marathon in January.

But yeah, long story short - totally agree with you. Life is all about experiences.

[morethanjustamom]

I'm hoping to cross this one off the list in August . I'm not sure I'll ever run an ultra, but I'm planning on a marathon in January.

But yeah, long story short - totally agree with you. Life is all about experiences.

Since my hip flexor injuries an ultra might not be in my future either, but I can fill in that blank with something else while I'm training slowly to get back up there.

Sharks, yay! I hope you do, and post pics!! I missed my chance in '08, but I'm looking for another one soon!

Edited to add: just looked at our location for our Cabo getaway in August, and there's tons of great diving there, with hammerheads, nurse sharks and whale sharks to boot!

[161803398874989]

You're all equating 'running several marathons a year' with 'running one marathon'. Or saying that if you're not running an ultramarathon, you're sitting inside, doing nothing. Both of which are logical fallacies.

Jdanger said pretty much everything else.

Also, on the breathing thing: not breathing would make you dead. So if aren't dead, you are not not breathing. Thus, you're breathing.

So breathing doesn't kill you because not breathing kills you.

[BarefootDawsy]

You're all equating 'running several marathons a year' with 'running one marathon'. Or saying that if you're not running an ultramarathon, you're sitting inside, doing nothing. Both of which are logical fallacies.

Jdanger said pretty much everything else.

Also, on the breathing thing: not breathing would make you dead. So if aren't dead, you are not not breathing. Thus, you're breathing.

So breathing doesn't kill you because not breathing kills you.

So...it has come to this

[jdanger]

Whimsy train making a stop. Tootoot...

Oxygen is in fact a very dangerous thing. Most of the current aging theories involve some component of senescence resulting from long term oxidation of biological structures and substrates. Think we are the Tin Man and we are rusting FROMTHEINSIDEOUT! So one could probably say that current research suggests that breathing does in fact contribute to death. Of course the alternative isn't any better so breath easy my friends.

Also.. anitoxidants! Help fight the battle against deadly breathing! Neutralize the life giving yet 100% toxic O2 you breath literally ALLDAYEVERYDAY!

Man maybe I should try my hat at this sensational journalism everyone is talking about.

[ETFnerd]

pssshh... oxygen... the really pernicious thing you have to watch out for is deadly brain waves from mars that beings from another planet are visiting upon us... the only appropriate safeguard is this prophylactic tin foil device that will preserve your neurological function... ignore my advice at your own peril... bwahahah...