One of the primary reasons I started running (and joggling) was because I want to live as long as possible. I’ve even set a goal for
my death date (11/11/2076) which means I’ll live to 107 years.
Danger of marathon running
That’s why I found this article about marathon running and injuries a little disturbing. According to researchers running a marathon can cause a minor injury to your heart. Somehow the stress makes you more prone to having a heart attack.
Actually, the evidence and arguments presented seemed pretty weak. While I don’t disagree with the idea that the heart experiences a significant amount of stress, there isn’t evidence that running a marathon significantly decreases your life expectancy.
The author did mention that researchers found that if you train properly, they don’t see the same damage. Also, the heart damage doesn’t appear to be permanent.
The bottom line is that if you are going to run a marathon and want to minimize your chances of having a heart attack, make sure you train!
Are you afraid that running a marathon might be dangerous to your health? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.



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did they mention that running lowers your resting heart rate? which allows your heart to pump more blood with less work? Think of all the heart beats you are saving that you can use later on to live longer!
I don’t see a danger, unless someone seriously under hydrates or seriously over hydrates.
I think the most dangerous thing we can do to our body is become a couch vegetable.
What about ultramarathons? Does a 50 or 100 miler at a slow pace affect a trained runner differently than a marathon? If you train and don’t have a preexisting heart condition, I think it’s nothing to be alarmed about. But, I do agree that the training is the most important health aspect because it doesn’t have much stress or temporary damage to the heart that the studies listed.