Marathon running & mortality: Endurance training improves fitness & possibly reduces average long term mortality. However, risk of dying during running itself is marginally higher than average. Of course, marathon running us a rare cause of death. Problems during running: 1/n
1. Heart attack: increased shear stress of blood during endurance training can rupture coronary atherosclerotic plaques causing thrombosis & MI. Risk in untrained runners, smokers. Train gradually & stop smoking to prevent. 2/n
2. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: commonly implicated in sudden death during competitive sports. Prevalence of HCM in community is underestimated though not the variants leading to high mortality. Routine echo not advised unless family h/o sudden death or dizziness during runs 3/n
3. Hyperthermia: Every hour of running leads to increase in core body temperature by 1 degree C. Inadequate cooling by drinking water/dousing oneself with water can prevent hyperthermia related problems. 4/n
4. Dehydration/Hyponatremia: loss of fluid & electrolytes can cause cardiac arrest, if inadequately/inappropriately replaced. Mere free water intake during long distance running can lead to electrolyte imbalance esp low sodium. Electrolyte solutions/tablets advised 5/n
5. Valvular heart disease & arrhythmias: these could go unrecognised in athletes new to endurance training and may manifest first during a major event. Starting slow during training & building gradually, reporting any symptoms of chest pain, breathlessness & giddiness is key 6/n
Running is a part of healthy lifestyle. Mere running expecting to become immortal while continuing smoking, bad eating habits, ignoring underlying health issues like diabetes, obesity & while ignoring warming symptoms is but a recipe for disaster
