Have you ever noticed that marathon runners in the Olympics look like concentration camp victims?
Have you ever wondered why marathons are considered “healthy” in our society yet the first man that ever ran one collapsed and died immediately after?
Yeah, and Pheidippides was fit too, likely selected for his job as a herald due to his speed and distance running ability. He was not some ancient Greek version of the modern couch potato.
While life may be a marathon your training program should not be. Running a half or whole marathon or competing in a triathlon are all admirable goals. But there are many dangers associated with excessive endurance training.
Dating as far back as the 1970s, the misconception of mainstream training philosophies that 45 minutes to an hour or more a day of intense aerobic activity has led to an overtrained, unfit, immune-compromised exercising population.
Humans were not designed for movement at a chronically sustained high-intensity aerobic pace.
We’ve all seen it in the local gym–day in and day out, week after week Jane and John plod away on the treadmills and ellipticals or pedal themselves into exhaustion in spin classes. It has done nothing to shed the extra fat on their butts and guts let alone tone them. I have never been impressed by any of these results.
13 Health Risks from Marathon Running
What exactly are the problems caused by training for long periods of time at high intensities such as what occurs during a marathon? Many things in fact . . .
- Debilitating osteoarthritis . . . at a young age
- Permanent scarring of the heart muscle
- A weakening of the thyroid and adrenal glands
- Tendonitis and other repetitive strain injuries
- Recurrent upper respiratory infections
- Permanently damaged feet (my chiropractor says long-distance runners have some of the worst feet he’s ever seen)
- Increased oxidative damage (free radical production)
- Decreased fat metabolism
- Susceptibility to injury
- Loss of bone density
- Depletion of lean muscle tissue
- Hormone imbalances that are difficult to rectify (women)
- Coupled with the common high refined carbohydrate intake promotes a dangerous level of continuous systemic inflammation.
If you doubt the health risks from marathon running, consider how frequently one or more people die running them during competition. Even the very young are not immune. In 2019, a 22-year-old woman died near the finish line of the Cleveland marathon.
Excessive Cardio and Chronic Inflammation
Sounds like a workout gone very bad to me. The sad part is the intentions of this exercising population are good. They are doing this all in the name of “health”. They are certainly not out to destroy it.
Aside from the disastrous results mentioned above, why is high-intensity aerobic pursuit such a dead end? One reason is the high level of carbohydrates consumed needed to sustain this activity leads to chronic inflammation. You’ve all seen it. Sally and Johnny are running a 5K so they load up on a big bowl of pasta the night before the big race. Then, they chow down on bagels and juice immediately after their 36 min run. Type 2 diabetes here we come.
Even worse are folks in cancer remission logging mile after mile thinking it is going to keep cancer from returning. More often than not, it returns with a vengeance with a more dire prognosis than before. Why? All the free radicals flooding their already weakened system from overexercising on a usually low-fat diet. Folks with cancer courageously yet misguidedly doing half marathons and marathons are literally running themselves right into the grave.
Simply put, humans are not designed to exercise like this! We have 2 primary energy systems to power our muscles. The first relies on the slow-burning of fats keeping us fueled while at rest yet allowing for a continuous low-level aerobic activity such as walking, gardening and day to day physical tasks. Fat is a very efficient fuel, stored and burned easily and cleanly when lots of oxygen is present.
Our second primary energy system that evolved is an ATP fueled system that allows us to do intense loads of work in shorts bursts. It is our high octane fuel. Think of the woman that lifts a car off her child trapped beneath it. Or the person that sprints after a mugger to get their wallet back. In other words all-out effort for fewer than 20 seconds; flight or fight and life or death tasks and situations.
Our energy systems are far more complex than that but it boils to the fact that we were evolved to either move slowly and steadily or briefly and fast. We become both healthier and stronger by exercising and living in this manner.
Are Half-Marathons or Triathlons Dangerous?
All being said there are still people out there that want to run a half or whole marathon or triathlon and there is a better and smarter way to train for it while avoiding the negative risks mentioned above. The days of logging mileage in excess of 20+ a week are rapidly becoming archaic. And so is the weak and skinny appearance of the stereotypical endurance athlete.
Many are finding that by incorporating strength and conditioning workouts into their training routine along with shorter more interval-based training they are improving speed, power, and overall performance. This approach also reduces injury potential. Not to mention having a lot more free time, less pain and, quicker recovery, and no long term scarring/damage to the heart.
This has been hotly debated but well documented in the past several years. Leading the pack in the defense is CrossFit Endurance’s, Brian MacKenzie. His training has many top-level endurance athletes setting personal records far beyond past efforts with a dramatic reduction in training time and mileage.
Fitness can and should be achieved without the need for pounding the pavement for miles on end, a huge daily time commitment, and a long list of extreme risks to health both short and long term.
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How Running a Marathon Can Seriously Harm Your Health – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/nOAKSaX
The misinformation here in incredible. 1) With proper diet/ running form/ injury prevention, all of the injuries you listed can be prevented (btw I have never heard of running causing an upper respiratory infection). 2) You don’t need lots of carbs to run for long distances- fats and proteins burn better. 3) “20+” miles per week wont get you in shape to run a marathon, the pros do over 100 miles a week and are perfectly healthy. 4) crossfit and short high intensity intervals won’t increase your endurance very well either. Humans evolved to run, get over it
I agree completely. His two main energy scources are completely incorrect. ATP’s first choice is aerobic (with oxygen). The body uses oxygen until about 75% of maximum heart rate is reached. Once it’s about 85% it begines to use lactic acid because oxygen cannot keep up. But the point is that even professional marathoners do not exceed 85% of their maximum heart rate until the last 30 or so min of the race. I know a coach who has proven that anybody can run for an hour if they keep their heart rate under 170 bpm he has proven this with first time runners using heart rate monitors. You know nothing about distance training, the energy zones of the heart, and your statement that we have not evolved to run is completely laughable. Do you realize for 100 million years humans hunted without weapons? This is called persistence hunting. Persistence hunting is when one keeps an animal moving until it overheats and collapses, humans are made to run, from cooling devices like arm and leg hair to our perfectly shaped feet and highly effecient trot. This article was written by people who profit from the misinformation they provide. Running is a fantastic excercise, and a collaigent cross country and track athlete and a math/biology major I can assure that this article is bologna!
Thank god some people actually provide trustworthy info. It almost sounds like some people dislike running so they need to prove it sucks anyway!
I don’t know much, but I do know enough to see some arguments in the post are kind of stupid. But with all this preaching about how running is bad I actually got to be sort of afraid (more like “sad”?) . And PHEW to your comments haha
Very interesting. I ran extensively in high school and suffered a few injuries but have not run so intensely since…however many of my friends have done marathons and 1/2 marathons and at this point a 1/2 is the farthest distance I’d consider.
The other night I was watching a TV show on USA and a character was a “marathon runner,” but my husband & I noted that she was not skinny enough to be a typical marathon runner. You could actually see flesh on her body and she wasn’t just skin & bones (not that all marathoners look like that, but it seems many of the professionals do)!
if you compare giving birth to running a marathon, which one is better?
having a baby! It is not as uncomfortable, and the reward is eternal.
Why are so many of these “runners” deathly afraid of pushing themselves with weights? Heck even body weight? I see so many wimps running around & when I question training practices, I get the “stink face” or some snooty remark?
haha stink face
I’m tired of all of this doom and gloom. No longer a fan, Sarah. Sorry.
Agreed! And I literally have almost the same name as you. Weird!
Not a fan of this either. You really need to back this up with evidence. It looks like alot of opinion here.
Some have more difficulties than others when it comes to addressing the truth.
I’ve never run a marathon but running a 10k was one of my dullest afternoons ever. You can’t say that about giving birth!!!
I think Paula is wrong on this one. I think we are definitely “evolved” to run long distances (as in following game for the hunt.) The problem really only comes when we turn it into a race and keep trying to do it faster and faster. It may well be true that professional marathon runners are emaciated, because they are trying to win. However, I know many marathon runners who are not pro’s, and they are the very image of fitness. Strong and sleek and glowing with good health. Sarah is a big fan of the anecdotal evidence, and the anecdotal evidence for running as a healthy form of exercise is abundant. Even running longer distances.
Chasing game was normally done on the back of a horse. Where on earth did you learn your history? I live in buffalo country and believe me, they weren’t hunted on foot. :rolling eyes: We attend (I ride) in the Custer State Park Buffalo Round-Up every September. We aren’t even hunting them and it can be dangerous.
Trapping and fishing were probably the only types of “hunting” not done on horseback because a quick get-away wasn’t usually necessary.
Most of the runners I know are now suffering with joint problems. It’s a fact, not an anecdote. Sarah, this is just one of those things people have to live long enough to experience, I think, because judging from the amount of negativity being posted here, I can see you are dealing with younger, more inexperienced folks. Oh well, live and learn. And they will.
This comment about horses and trapping reflects a gross misunderstanding of both evolution and also the VERY limited amount of time in human history during which humans have participated in such activities as domesticating horses and using traps to hunt.
Running is very healthy. It’s when people overdue it and spend excessive time at a high intensity. When man went hunting his “chase” for game was nowhere near the distance covered in a marathon. It didn’t take 26 miles to kill dinner; more like a couple of hundred meters or less. He may have walked quite a distance, getting hours of low level aerobic activity but the intensity was limited to short burts of speed followed by recovery.
Have we forgotten that humans hunted on foot before ever taming horses? Have we forgotten that the glutes are the strongest muscles in the body? Or how about we sweat better than any mammal (most animals with fur must pant to keep cool) in the world and are able to keep our bodies cool with the least amount of effort? Humans are made to run. I do agree though that intensive training in any activity for long periods of time w/o adequate rest and nutrition are damaging. All of us could get out and run 20-30mins a day and be healthier for it. Aerobic activity is a must for optimal health.
This is false, persistence hunters would run at low speeds for 15-20 miles in the peak of the day before catching their game. Running is much more efficient than walking, our bodies are built for it.
Next time you write an article with the intent of drawing people to crossfit you should try espousing the strengths of your own fitness style instead of improperly bashing on another. All of the negative effects you listed would be caused by improper training or inadequate nutrition. You could apply the same train of thought to crossfit and come up with an equally scary list of effects.
“Next time you write an article with the intent of drawing people to crossfit you should try espousing the strengths of your own fitness style instead of improperly bashing on another. ”
Thank you. You just saved me the need to reply a long detailed response mentioning the flaws and lack of the validity of the claims brought forth in this article.
The book Body By Science explains this topic quite well. Our ancestors did partake in long, monotonous, moderate intensity activity. Our body’s metabolism is uniquely designed to respond to high intensity stimuli. The book also shows some interesting studies showing the health issues associated with endurance athletes.
Busting myths is part of the goal of this blog, Katie. Busting myths and preconceived ideas gets messy.
Touche!
It certainly does, Sarah! People need to know about these issues. Keep up the great work! 🙂
Yes, but before busting this “myth” there was another myth and preconceived ideas busted. The one that told us we were not able to run long distances, the one that told us we would died or get hurt, the one that told us it would be impossible. Granted, ultra endurance events is not for everybody, and it doesn’t have to be. If you want to shed some pounds or be healthier, you don’t have to be and endurance athlete!!! it is not a requirement! But if that’s something that you find inspiring and want to try it…. WHY NOT!? with proper training, and the right mental attitude it can be done avoiding injuries and damage to our body, and if you find out that’s your passion GO AHEAD!!! take care of your body and pursue your goals.
Being an iconoclast can be a lonely road sometimes…..but I’ll run it. Keep up the good work.
I would say that giving birth is definitely NOT like a marathon. There are natural resting phases after every contraction (with a nonmedicated birth at least) which you do not ever have in a marathon.
I remember that with 2 of my births, I actually snoozed in between contractions a couple of times.
Hi Sarah,
Was giving birth very easy since eating a very healthy diet for quite some time?
I like Ms. LeBaron’s points & take it into consideration.
I realize running marathons often are compared with long-distance hunting of animals but from what of seen of animals stalking their prey it’s not usually a continuous trot/run. It’s probably closer to interval training with speed variations and occasional breaks.
Exactly.
I don’t think ancient humans would have run continuously for 25 miles tracking prey. It would have been a run/rest/run type of thing which is very healthy form of exercise.
agreed. not to mention ancient humans were much more muscular and stocky in bone construction so they had very powerful bursts of motion and power.
No it would not be. The human body is made to run efficiently, walking would be a waste of energy. After about 8 km/hr it becomes more and more energy efficient to run than to walk. Not to mention the forces exerted on your body from the acceleration and deceleration of the interval training you theorize would create much more impact forces on your body vice a steady trot which in the long run.
Hahahahahahha (*inhale*) ahahahhahahaha….. My Dad has run 8 marathons, 2 over the age of 50 (and respectable times to including qualifying for and running in Boston) and I can definitely tell you he looks great and healthy, he also doesn’t carbo load and it would be quite interesting to see the stats on Type 2 Diabetes in marathon runners. *eye roll*
There will always be people who take things to the extreme in ANY case such as those Olympians who look like they could use a hamburger (or five). Is ice skating dangerous? You could be beaten in the legs by a hit man!
What about all the marathon runners that drop dead? Every marathon it seems, at least 1 person dies and several go to the hospital. Many also have permanent scarring to the heart muscle which you couldn’t tell by looking at someone. I seem to remember Mercola had an article on this recently how the heart muscle is permanently scarred by endurance training.
What about all those people who drop dead from sitting on their ass? (!!) People die or have serious injuries because they didn’t train properly or pushed themselves too hard not because of the magical 26.2 miles that they want to run. In this day and age I cannot *believe* someone would be discouraging people from a form of physical activity that CAN be safe and healthy. I just wonder if you have a hat somewhere with a bunch of ideas that 95% of the population things are good things… then draw out of it and set out to prove everyone that they are wrong are you are right. Too hot for me, gotta get out of this kitchen!
Please read the entire post as it doesn’t discourage running. Please see Paul’s comment below which hits the nail on the head.
By the way, plenty of well trained, well coached marathoners drop dead (at young ages too like in their 40’s and 50’s) after running for years with seemingly no problem. Just because most people believe something to be true doesn’t make it true. I like how Paula dismantles the marathon sacred cow in this post. People need to realize that this type of exercise is dangerous and not healthy for the long haul.
But you know…lots of NON-marathoners also drop dead at young ages… Sometimes people just die.
I actually don’t see too much wrong with training and running a Marathon. What does disturb me intensely is the people who run one or two a month… to collect a medal. I mean really….we are adults here. They don’t train well, and put themselves at fairly big risks to their health, all for a shiney piece of metal?
Now. I’m a runner, a Marathon runner, and soon to be an Ultra Marathon runner…But you wont find me running 50 miles every day…
Just one of many examples .. one of those who dropped dead was a man who had completed 50 marathons. Only 65 years old but obviously what he was doing was not helping his health:
http://www.newser.com/story/72003/3-runners-drop-dead-in-detroit-marathon.html
Not to mention how wrinkled long distance runners get! Their faces drop from all the force of gravity as they run. This compounded with their typical lowfat, high carb diet makes for a very very wrinkled complexion.
I’ve run several marathons, and done 6 Ironman triathlons – I am far from emaciated, very muscular, and never had health problems from participating in any of them. My doctors credited those activities with my drastic improvement in asthma as well – from very medication dependent with lots of asthma attacks to virtually med free and a much higher lung capacity than normal, let alone normal for an asthmatic. I’ve enjoyed many of your posts, but I’d have to disagree with this one as well.
Have you seen ultramarathon runners? They’re not emaciated in the least for the most part! They’re often quite sturdy-looking … and they *far* exceed the measly *26.2* of a marathoner. (As a note, I recently began my running journey a few months ago. I’ve completed two 5Ks and was working towards a 10K. I don’t think marathon runners are Weenies 😉 ). I think a method of running is also important. There is a method called the Galloway method (formulated by Jeff Galloway) that is based on run-walk-run, inserting walking breaks into a run to keep you fresh. This bit of rest makes a lot of sense I think.
Sarah,
Would you share what you do for regular exercise. I think you look amazing! Thin, but not too skinny. Thanks!
Walking, gardening, yard work, biking (bike hard then coast or pedal lightly/rest, repeat … NOT endurance biking which is the same problem as marathons) yoga (push hard then rest then push hard then rest to mimic interval training).
Thanks Sarah,
I think if we would stay busy doing all these daily type activities we would have less weight problems. I am really trying to do this. I will also add the push hard, rest and see what happens. Personally, I can’t exercise to the point of exhaustion anyway. I would be in bed for 2 days. 20 yrs ago I got an autoimmune disease that affected my joints and lost my kidneys 13 yrs ago from it..I agree that too much hard and long exercise (marathon running)can be risky.. So glad I have found the real food “way” of eating. I feel so much better. My joint problems are better. No doubt I caused my problem by the way I ate yrs ago.. the SAD diet. Thanks Sarah so much for helping me with the videos and info you provide.
Hi Teresa, sounds like you are on the right path. Be patient with yourself as a SAD diet for years can take some time to recover from.
People can drop dead during most any activity, I don’t think marathon running causes death. People have heart attacks just sitting on the couch, or driving to work, or playing golf.
I just ran my first marathon this year. I have run several half marathons and 25ks. I am not skinny and I do not look emaciated on any part of my body. I cross train and get regular chiropractic adjustments and I have been injury free. I feel strong physically and mentally when I run regularly. I have not had a cold or flu in many years. I am one of the few runners I know who fuels with high protein and quality fat before and after a run. Unless I’m running for more than 1.5 hours, I rarely need more than plain water and/or coconut water. I stay away from all the sports drinks and artificial stuff.
Body type is going to determine whether you are skinny running marathons. Some folks will never be skinny no matter what. It is very telling that marathoners at the top of their game look horrible and emaciated. Folks who don’t have this body type could never compete in marathons at the highest levels.
Look at other sports that are interval training based rather than endurance training.
Tennis, soccer, short sprints and medium distance runs .. these people look AMAZING at the top of their profession.
I’d have to agree with the article, in my opinion. Of course, that the marathoners coming to the defense of their sport doesn’t surprise me at all, and they have the right to their opinion (even if they have a “don’t confuse me with the fact” attitude). Well, 2 days ago, at the Chicago marathon, another sad death. Typical comment is- Oh , he must have had an “undiagnosed” condition. That’s almost always the response to these type of deaths. The other response might be, well he/she hasn’t trained enough. Well folks, I’d guess that it’s not an undiagnosed condition, AND, in fact, that those that train very heavily are probably in even worse shape- BECAUSE it’s the CHRONIC inflammation of continous training, possibly coupled with the fact of trying to beat your best time, that causes the death on the actual day of the marathon. Relatives of the dead marathoners seem to frequently say- “he/she was in the best shape of their life”… Oh really, how can you be in the best shape of your life and dead at the same time? It’s an INCORRECT assumption, that just because someone can run for a long while without stopping, they are in great shape. All it means is that they’ve trained their body to run for a long while…you can’t assume anything else other than this.
You are absolutely correct My husband is a Sports Nutritionist and endurance athlete coach (cycling & track and field). He believes that nutrition is very important for endurance athletes. Many of these types of athletes read the literature and eat diets that are high in processed carbohydrates. Although these diets work to replenish depleted glycogen storage. They do very little to compensate for the catabolic nature of the oxidative energy system that breaks down fat and muscle proteins for conversion to glucose and subsequently ATP. Furthermore, the body will release cortisol as product of the training stress that breaks down muscle and converts it to glucose in the liver. This is why endurance athletes require high amounts of protein and fat in their diet. Unfortunately most are missing it.