Dr. Lam Author of
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Marathons
Michael Lam, MD, MPH
www.DrLam.com
 Is
marathon running good for your health?
During the 26.2 mile course:
a. The knees get about 20,000 poundings.
b. Your internal organs are being suspended and bounced 20,000 times, resulting
often in hematuria - blood in the urine - from kidney damage.
Now, researchers also have found surprisingly high -- and potentially dangerous
-- inflammation and clotting factors in the blood of middle-aged male runners
shortly after completion of Boston Marathon. While none of the runners in
the Boston Marathon studies showed symptoms of actual cardiac distress,
the high levels of creatine kinase-MB and
C-reactive protein -- the first, a marker for muscle injury and the second, a risk factor
for clotting and heart attack -- showed they were temporarily at increased
risk.
C-reactive protein goes up whenever there is muscle damage, and the increase
seen in blood clotting probably came from the skeletal muscle injury that
occurs in all marathoners who run hard enough to "hit the wall" (become
physically exhausted) between mile 18-20 .
Muscle inflammation from overuse causes overproduction of blood clotting
factors such as the von Willebrand factor, which was found in higher concentrations
in the runners' post-race samples than in their pre-race samples.
The human body is not designed to run 26.2
miles non-stop. In fact, the marathon distance came about
as a tribute to the runner who collapsed and died after completing that
journey.
Excessive oxidative stress from over-exercising should be avoided.
If you can help it, don't enter a marathon. Do a 5k, 10k, or
half marathon at most.
To Protect Yourself if you decided to run a marathon:
 Take
at least six to nine months to train and
build endurance prior to a marathon.
Take your personal medical history into account.
Runners with known heart risks should think twice about a marathon. Do not
push yourself beyond your body's ability to handle.
Take extra anti-oxidants to protect your body from
oxidative stress during the run.
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About The Author
Michael Lam, M.D., M.P.H., A.B.A.A.M. is a specialist in Preventive and Anti-Aging Medicine. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, California. He also holds a Masters of Public Health degree and is Board Certification in Anti-aging Medicine by the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. He has authored numerous articles and the following books: The Five Proven Secrets to Longevity, How to Stay Young and Live Longer, Estrogen Dominance - Hormonal Imbalance of the 21st Century, and Beating Cancer with Natural Medicine.
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© 1999-2009 Michael
Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
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