Is Running Marathons Healthy for Your Heart?
A Healthier Michigan
| 3 min read
Marathons have increased in popularity over the past few decades, with over 500,000 American running a marathon each year. Running has long been recognized as a heart-healthy practice and over 50 million Americans use running or jogging as a form of exercise. Running 26.2 miles uninterrupted can put real strain on the heart and cardiovascular system, and some recent studies have questioned if marathon running may have long-term effects on cardiovascular health.
How does running marathons affect heart health?
Running is associated with lower risks of heart disease and heart attacks, so distance training or endurance training required for marathon runners is likely to bring health benefits. A 2020 study found that first-time marathon runners, with 6 months of training leading up to the marathon, had reduced blood pressure and a lower “vascular age” or improved heart health for their age.
There are some cases when marathon running can cause increased risk of heart conditions developing or damage to the heart, but these are predominantly seen in unfit and inexperienced runners or those with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions.
What are the risks associated with marathons or long-distance running?
There have been famous cases of sudden deaths during marathons, but these cases are mostly due to an existing underlying health condition being triggered by the stress and exertion of marathon running. This risk is lower for women and runners under the age of 35, and the level of experience running marathons does not affect the level of risk.
Some runners in a 2012 study had a dilated right atrium and ventricle directly after running a marathon and up to 24 hours later, as well as higher levels of troponin and B-type natriuretic peptides. Higher levels of these biomarkers are signs of risk of myocardial injury or a sudden cardiac event. Chronic sustained exercise can also result in a stiffening of the arterial walls over time, which correlates with a higher risk high blood pressure, hypertension and poor cardiac health.
The approach to this issue is better pre-marathon health screening for conditions that elevate the risk of a sudden cardiac event. While the risk of a sudden cardiac event or sudden death is higher in athletes than non-athletes, the long-term heart health and overall benefits of physical exercise and athletics are far and above heart-health numbers for sedentary people.
Know your limits and check with your doctor
If you want to increase the distance you run or build your endurance, or if a marathon is your goal, talk to your doctor and get pre-marathon health screenings. Ask for guidance from your doctor on your specific heart health and fitness goals. Make sure to check into your family history, especially any history of heart or respiratory conditions. Remember to increase distances and intensity at appropriate intervals when working up to a marathon or any long-distance running goal. Eating a heart-healthy diet is also important for long-distance and endurance runners.
