|
The Downside to Marathon Running
Have you
been exercising and eating right? Are you in the best shape of your life
and are now looking for that next big challenge? Is this
the year that you have decided to test your limits and run a marathon? It
is great that you are taking your health and fitness more seriously. It
is also good that you have set your sights on becoming so fit that you
can run and perhaps even run competitively in a marathon race, but you
should be aware of the harmful affects of marathon running on your body.
Running
does put more stress on your bones and joints. The prolonged length of
time you will be stressing your body this way in a marathon race could
cause bone and joint trouble later on. To reduce this risk, wear
appropriate running shoes, ankle, knee, wrist, and elbow supports, and
properly train for marathon running before the day of the race. Increased
susceptibility to infections right after marathon running is another of
the harmful effects of running a marathon. Wash your hands as often as
possible and remember that mild exercise after a race will help you to rebuild your
immune system.
Dehydration
and over hydrating are two harmful effects of marathon running. Not
drinking water when your body signals the need for it with thirst can
lead to dehydration. Drinking water when you are not experiencing
thirst, just because someone hands you a cup of water along the race
route, can lead to the over hydration of your body. Both of these have
serious medical complications that can occur. The solution is
to drink when your body says you need to and pass up hand outs when you
are not thirsty.
Diarrhea,
nausea, and vomiting are unpleasant and harmful effects that can occur
with marathon running. Keeping yourself properly hydrated during the
course of the race is the best way to avoid these unpleasant symptoms.
If you do experience any of these side effects and they continue even after resting, seek
medical attention.
Bladder
tears are one of the harmful results of marathon running. This happens as the
bladder is jolted up and down while running. You may experience some
pain and see blood in your urine when relieving yourself after a race.
If you continue to notice blood in your urine with subsequent urinations
or your pain increases, then make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible.
Hyperventilation is another harmful effect from marathon
running. This is because you are taking quicker and larger spurts of
oxygen into your body and your lungs may not be able to exchange the
carbon dioxide for oxygen at such a rapid rate. Some say that breathing
into a paper sack will help your lungs to catch up and then calm them so that
you can breathe comfortably. Continuing to run while hyperventilating
though could cause you to collapse.
Severe skin
chafing is made possible by
the continuous rubbing of your clothes against the surface of the skin
while running, and sweating. Carry a small towel and run it under your
armpits every so often. Shower as soon after the race as possible, pat
yourself dry rather than rubbing with a towel and apply powder and
lotion to relive the discomfort of chafing. Make sure
your running shoes are the right size. Give your toes an inch to move
and avoid being squashed. Toe cramps and toe nail loss are a common
effect of marathon running when you do not have the right fit
to your shoes.
Do not let
the possibility of these harmful effects from marathon running deter you from your goal to run a marathon. As this article
illustrated, there are ways to avoid many of these harmful side effects
altogether and very effective measures to use should they happen.
|
