Why marathons are bad

Chances are, the majority of people may be okay. That should be the focus of future studies. On that note, do we even know this inflammatory response is unhealthy? Maybe small doses of inflammation could be good because it makes organs stronger. In ischemic conditioning , small doses of deprivation make organs better able to deal with larger insults later on.

Small, controlled doses of physical stress may be good in some people and not good in others. Knowing how much these findings mean in the long term would require further research. I pointed that out to Parikh. But the epidemic of marathon running is happening now. Our emails are made to shine in your inbox, with something fresh every morning, afternoon, and weekend.

Even the most conditioned runners finish races with similar body chemistry to patients who have undergone major surgery. But these races can also be harmful to people just near them. A lot of marathons—especially the biggest ones—weave through major cities. Their hefty entry fees go in part to the costs involved in blocking off city roadways to accommodate thousands of runners.

Great for marathon participants; not so good for those living nearby with poor health. A new report published by researchers at the Harvard Medical School shows that the disruptions to these usual routes of traffic can actually increase the death rates of patients trying to get to hospital emergency rooms in the area. I didn't see it coming," he said. In contrast, Sophie Everett, from Chester, was able to finish her first marathon, in Chester in , despite feeling a nagging, "knife-like pain" in her feet.

But weeks later the pain had not left and she was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis - a chronic injury to the foot and heel. So were these unlucky experiences or are marathons actually risky for our health? Marathons are a "massive physical challenge" for our bodies, says Dr Mark Lake, a sports scientist at Liverpool John Moores University who studies how movement affects the tissues of the body, such as muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments.

Even in regular runners they fatigue the body to "the verge of being at risk of damage" and take weeks to recover from, he says. Doing them requires fitness and conditioning throughout the body. But if this is built up too quickly over-use injuries, such as shin splints or stress fractures, can occur. That is because these factors combined cause greater, more uneven impact on our joints.

But what about for people who take the time to prepare properly - do those miles not invariably take a toll on things such as our joints and other parts of the body? It appears not, Dr Lake says. Because while the marathons themselves are a huge challenge for our bodies, if training for them is done properly it is likely to strengthen and condition not only our muscles - but also our joints and even our bones,.

And in terms of joints and things like that, they're going to become conditioned. In a hard race on a hot and humid day, marathon runners can lose up to four litres seven pints of fluid through sweating and exhalation. So, if you do insist on training for a marathon, build mileage gradually. Back in , researchers at Yale found that an alarming 82 percent of marathon participants suffered from a kidney injury that left them unable to filter waste products from the blood.

This is known as stage 1 acute kidney injury. Essentially, it means that kidney cells become damaged by the lack of blood flow to the organs during a race and the loss of fluid volume. Yet, it does raise the question of whether completing multiple marathons, and the high mileage training involved, could cause chronic, or even permanent, kidney damage.

But listen, if completing the full Opt for a gentler goal, like running every other day or snowshoeing. Molly Hanson. In this article. The Present. Daylight saving time was first implemented during the first world war to take advantage of longer daylight hours and save energy.