Here’s How Running A Marathon Affects Your Body – And How You Can Reduce The Effects
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While completing a marathon may give you a sense of accomplishment, you also risk damaging your body, at least in the short run.
Running a marathon puts tremendous physiological demands on you. Your body temperature rises. You lose water and electrolytes through sweat. Your heart pumps faster and harder. Your legs need more blood to fuel their movement. Your muscles produce more waste products from prolonged exertion.
These bodily changes affect you in several ways:

You Risk Injury to Your Joints, Bones, and Ligaments
Although marathons won’t necessarily contribute to joint and feet injuries, prolonged running on hard surfaces will. And in a concrete jungle like Singapore, your race route will inevitably include such surfaces. “Your knees and joints bear the brunt of shock from your feet pounding repeatedly on hard surfaces,” said Dr Ganesan Naidu, Specialist in Orthopaedic Surgery & Consultant, Raffles Orthopaedics Centre. “Wearing the wrong running shoes worsens this, since there’s nothing cushioning your joints from these shocks.” The result? Your joints and tendons risk getting inflamed. You may experience pain in your hips, knees and / or feet after your run. The repetitive strain from marathons can even cause stress fractures in your shins and feet, and occasionally in your pelvis.You Strain Your Heart
Running too hard, too fast, and for too long stresses your heart. Studies have shown that most marathoners display signs of heart damage immediately after their race. Fortunately, their hearts returned to normal, without any lingering effects. But for regular marathoners, the damage may be longer lasting. “A study by Mayo Clinic suggests that heart damage caused by frequent marathons can add up over time,” said Dr Derek Li, Family Physician, Raffles Medical. “Long-term effects include premature heart ageing, arterial plaque build-up, and an irregular heart rhythm.” These findings did not surprise Dr Li. “Our hearts just aren’t designed for such sustained and intense activities,” he emphasised.Your Immune System Gets Compromised
Despite the health benefits of exercising, many marathoners still fall sick after their race. “Long endurance activities such as marathons trigger your body to produce a large amount of the stress hormone cortisol,” explained Dr Li. “This hormone suppresses your immune system, leaving you vulnerable to infections and sickness.” When you consider the number of germs potentially passed around by spectators and fellow runners at a marathon, it’s not difficult to imagine yourself catching them in your exhausted, weakened state.Your Kidneys Work Harder
Your kidneys work harder to filter out the additional waste produced after a marathon. At the same time, they lack water and oxygen-rich blood to function efficiently. The combination of more work with less resources may leave your kidneys damaged, albeit temporarily. The good thing is, your kidneys can reverse the damage within a few days, just like your heart.Enhance Your Marathon Training Plan to Reduce Injuries
These risks shouldn’t put you off from attempting a marathon. Proper preparation will help you cross the finish line safely. Apart from having a marathon training plan, incorporate these five strategies to improve your performance and keep yourself safe.Go for a Medical Check-Up Before Your Marathon
You should get checked by a doctor regardless of your state of health. It helps identify your risk of medical conditions that may occur during your marathon, so you can plan your training to reduce them. You can also glean insights from your screening results to improve your training programme. If you’re found to be anaemic, for example, you can eat more iron-rich foods to promote red blood cell production.