(05-11-13) Drop dead: Marathons can be bad for your heart

by Nate Curtis

(NaturalNews) Marathon running is usually thought to be one of the healthiest activities that athletes participate in but there are too many cases where runners in a marathon die from cardiac problems before or just after finishing the race. The heart, like any muscle, needs to be exercised and taken care of to make sure it is operating at the best level for the individual involved. However, if it is made to work too hard the resulting stress can cause it to fail or beat improperly, causing irreparable damage and in some cases quick death.


Causes
The stress that can cause heart attacks during long distance marathons can happen because of the increased work the heart needs to do during running, often under harsh conditions that lead to heatstroke or lack of salt in the body due to over-hydration. Marathoners, and other athletes who run, need to be aware of the risks of long distance running. Studies have shown that the inflammation of the heart that occurs while running long distances causes the blood to be pumped into and from the heart differently than during normal exercises. This leads to the cardiac problems which occur during these types of competitions.

There are a number of factors that come into play with running and heart problems, and many of them are due to inadequate training and preparation, unknown problems with the heart and the malfunction of the heart itself. Not everyone is able to run in marathons and there are many runners who do not realize the risks inherent in this sport. Long distance running over a long period of time can cause the heart to develop scarring; studies have shown that marathoners who have trained the hardest and run the most marathons have the greatest amount of scarring in the cardiac muscle area. These athletes who have extensive training and experience running long distances are showing harm from the hard running over time.

The role of diet, exercise, body type and genetics are all factors in a runner's history that may or may not make a difference in results when they are training for long distance marathons or even competing in them. There is no one particular trait that leads to the cardiac problems, but a combination of factors that leads to runners dropping with cardiac problems while engaged in high stress running events. Exercising and proper interval training are good for the heart because they strengthen the heart muscle, but too much strain causes problems. Too much of a good thing, and in this case, marathon running can indeed kill you.

Sources for this article include:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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