--- title: Understanding the Heart Hazards of Marathon Running | TIME description: Pushing yourself through a marathon isn’t good for your heart, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t run canonical: https://time.com/video/CaLKCRRy/ og:title: Understanding the Heart Hazards of Marathon Running og:description: Pushing yourself through a marathon isn’t good for your heart, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t run og:url: https://time.com/video/CaLKCRRy/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/CaLKCRRy/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Understanding the Heart Hazards of Marathon Running twitter:description: Pushing yourself through a marathon isn’t good for your heart, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t run twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/CaLKCRRy/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # Understanding the Heart Hazards of Marathon Running > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Understanding the Heart Hazards of Marathon Running [Watch (HLS stream): Understanding the Heart Hazards of Marathon Running](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/CaLKCRRy.m3u8) (3:19)  _Published 2010-10-28. Pushing yourself through a marathon isn’t good for your heart, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t run_ --- Jul 27, 2023 3:06 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Running Can Help You Live Longer. But More Doesn't Always Mean Better](/video/7c8KtN5N/) ### Running Can Help You Live Longer. But More Doesn't Always Mean Better [The Cost of Running a Marathon](/video/d4kChq2T/) ### The Cost of Running a Marathon [RuPaul on Why Identity Shouldn’t Be Taken Seriously, But Loving Yourself Should](/video/dRqsSSGM/) ### RuPaul on Why Identity Shouldn’t Be Taken Seriously, But Loving Yourself Should --- ## Transcript >> If you're a fan of running, you've probably seen the clips on YouTube of runners trying to make it through a marathon, struggling to get to the finish line only to collapse in an exhausted heap. What effect does pushing yourself like that have on your body and on your heart? >> While you're doing some strenuous exercise, you can increase your cardiovascular risk temporarily by a factor of up to 7. Fundamental reason for this study is to try to understand what's happening during the exercise, which is temporarily increasing your risks. >> Larose's study involved 20 marathon runners, some of whom were training for their very first race, while others were veterans of the long distance run. The measurements he took immediately after the race were bad, really bad. All of the runners showed higher levels of inflammation, a sign that the heart is in distress, higher levels of an enzyme that shoots up during a heart attack, lower heart function overall, and more dying heart muscle. In fact, if a doctor were to look at those measurements without realizing that they came from a marathon runner, he would think the person was in the middle of having a heart attack. >> The chest open, shoulders back. Nice and tall. >> We caught up with some runners who were training for the New York City Marathon with Shelly Glover. >> Definitely a little concerning that it can, you know, lead to damage. I tried to train properly so that I'm not doing all a lot of work one day and then nothing the next day, trying to keep it consistent and to gradually build on it. Whatever I can do to stay heart healthy, that's absolutely a concern of mine. >> You're thinking, " Why bother ?" Is it worth the effort of going through the grueling training regimen only to put your heart at risk? But that would be missing the main message of the study, says Larose. >> The great message here is there is no permanent damage to the heart. We also know that exercise is great for your cardiovascular health. It will do wonders to the body, including reducing depression, et cetera. So, I do not want to put out there the message that exercise is not good for you. >> With the runners in Larose's study, three months after the marathon, the hearts of all the runners had returned to their normal function and showed no signs of having been in distress. Those who were fit before they ran the marathon showed less damage to their hearts than those who were less fit. So, the results underscore the importance of training properly and being prepared before taking on something as strenuous as a marathon. >> For someone who's not a professional athlete, they're a participant, they wanna be out there and have all the advantages of good fitness, I would say you want to be running at 30 to 40 miles a week. During your marathon training, it's upwards to 45. That's a lot of time, it's a lot of commitment, and it takes preparation to do it. And it's also important to listen to your body while you're training. And that's a lesson that Larose himself has learned and now applies to his training. >> I'm not expecting to win the Olympics any day soon. And I remind myself that I'm doing this to keep myself in-- keep myself healthy. 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