The marathon benefits men’s heart health. Cardiovascular risk factors are reduced in middle-aged men who train for this race.
Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele has just won the Paris Marathon… and he is certainly a good example of cardiovascular health. According to a study presented at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Cardiology, marathon training (42 km) is great for men’s hearts.
At least one risk factor
The number of marathons continues to increase, as well as the number of participants. A good initiative, as shown by this study carried out on 45 amateur marathon runners. Aged 35 to 65, all of them prepared for the 2013 Boston Marathon. Half of them had already participated in more than 3 races of this type. As part of the study, they adhered to an 18-week training program. This included different types of races (endurance, group), nutritional advice and on the race. Participants ran between 19 and 57 km per week, with the distance gradually increasing.
Before and after the program, participants underwent a series of medical examinations. Their cardiovascular health was carefully examined: cardiopulmonary exercises, heart imaging, cholesterol assessment… Half of the amateur runners had at least one risk factor. On the eve of the marathon, the last examination revealed an overall improvement in health.
The heart changes shape
Bad cholesterol (LDL) levels fell by 5%, overall cholesterol by 5% and triglycerides by 15%. BMI changed little (-1%) but the participants were already in very good health before entering the training program. Oxygen consumption also increased by 4%. And runners’ hearts have changed: They have “experienced a change in the heart – with improvement in the size, shape, structure and function of the heart,” says Jodi Zilinski, principal investigator. “Even in this relatively healthy population, key indices of cardiovascular health have improved. “
This study alone, however, does not ensure the benefits of the marathon. It concerns only a small population: men, middle aged and in good health, who have already trained in a race of this type. On the other hand, the virtues of regular physical activity, less intense than a marathon, are already known to the entire population.
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