Tag Archives: running

Marathons – A Life Changing Experience (literally)

Posted on November 9, 2018 by | 2 comments

Everyone has heard of how a marathon is a life changing event. The seemingly unsurmountable task of finishing one is on the bucket list of many people.

“If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon”

“When you cross the finish line, no matter how slow or fast, it will change your life forever”

Eluid Kipchoge – The Current Marathon World Record Holder – Photo from Flickr

The quotes and testimonies are endless. Every year, at least 50,000 people participate in the New York Marathon. Multiple studies (here, here and here) have shown physical exercise to be healthy for the heart. Over the past 40 years, people believed that endurance exercise would be a panacea for heart problems. This study from 1977 suggested that marathon running and a healthy diet would immunize runners against atherosclerosis. With all this evidence, it’s no surprise that running marathons have grown in popularity.

Medal from the 2010 New York Marathon – Photo from flickr

However, running marathons (and other forms of long distance endurance sports), might not be beneficial as one might think, especially when it comes to issues of the heart. Most runners know the damage caused to their body and heart during the course of the marathon. That damage has only been thought to be temporary, lasting only a few weeks  This report published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests that this damage done to the heart actually adds up over time. Repeated intense and endurance exercise can cause a build-up of scar tissue on the heart – leading to the development of patchy myocardial fibrosis.

For marathon runners, the name Micah True will ring a bell. Known for running up to 160km at a time for training, Micah was a force to be reckoned with. However, his death (which happened while running ironically) was called out as a link between the long-term effects of excessive endurance training and scarring of the heart. An autopsy showed that his heart was enlarged and scarred, suggesting death from lethal arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat.

A Normal Heart vs An Enlarged Heart – Photo from Wikimedia Commons

But most of us will never run the same distances that Micah did.

According to author James O’Keefe, the best outcomes are found far below the exercise levels of even casual endurance athletes. A 15-year study cited by O’Keefe highlights that the greatest benefits resulted from running less than 32km per week in runs of 30 – 45 minutes over 3-4 days. Anything beyond that level results in diminishing returns.

Furthermore, much of the damage seen immediately after marathons disappears within a month. Only when the heart is repeatedly damaged does scarring build up. O’Keefe also notes that people do endurance races for reasons besides their health. He likens it to climbing Mt. Everest – a bucket list item for many, but not without its dangers. “I don’t think anyone climbs Mt. Everest thinking it’ll be good for their health” he says.

Having run four 42.2 full marathons and eleven 21.1km half-marathons among other races in the past, I know that putting my body through these have a dramatic effect on it. I feel it in my legs after every race! But having developed a love for the sport, giving it up or cutting it down would take the fun out of running for me. Either way, I highly doubt my weekly mileage hits the same levels as Micah True’s.

After all this, is running a marathon still on your bucket list?

2 Comments

Tagged , , , , , ,

Should You Bare It All While Running?

Posted on October 21, 2018 by | 1 comment

I’m sure most, if not all of us have seen runners running long distances barefoot and wondered “how in the world…?” Walking on barefoot on tar hurts enough, how can someone just casually run on roads as though it was paved with the softest material possible? What about the cuts from the rough surface? What about the impact that hits your foot with each step? Where does all that force go?

A triathlete taking on a triathlon without any running shoes – Photo from flickr

There have been arguments that barefoot running is better for our body as compared to shod running (For the uninitiated, “shod running” simply means running with a shoe). This study argues that barefoot running results in less injuries from impact transmission. Some impact transmission injuries include Plantar Fascilitis (pain in the heel), stress fractures and shin splints.

According to Steven E. Robbins’ Human Performance group at Concordia University, wearing a shoe results in a lack of sensory feedback that produces a rigid system, preventing natural foot shock absorption. Running barefoot would result in direct contact with the running surface, allowing for more natural foot shock absorption to occur. He further states that running shoes are designed based on the assumption that the foot is a delicate and rigid object, thus requiring shock absorption material. It’s this combination of natural shock absorption from your foot and the shock absorption from a running shoe that causes running injuries.

Vibram – A popular brand of minimalist running shoes – photo from flickr

Recently, “minimalist” running shoes have hit the market. These shoes are said to have the same effect as barefoot running, but with the protective benefits of shod running. However, a study from the Centre for Exercise and Sports Science in Deakin University in Australia states that running in a minimalist shoe is not the same as running barefoot. Data from 22 experienced runners running barefoot and 3 types of running shoes (Minimalist, Racing Flat, and the Athlete’s regular shoe) were collected. It turns out that there were significant differences between barefoot and shod conditions, but not much difference between the 3 shod conditions.

Knee and Ankle Power Generation between barefoot vs shod running. Graph by Benedict Tan. Data from British Journal of Sports Medicine

Furthermore, barefoot running increases the amount of work done and power generated at the ankle, while decreasing the amount of work done and power generated at the knee. More importantly, the minimalist shoe had more similarity with the other 2 variations of running shoes as opposed to barefoot running. This proves that running in a minimalist shoe is not the same as running barefoot, despite what previous studies have shown.

More research is definitely needed, but personally, I’d stick with what’s comfortable. No one can dictate how you run, they are your feet after all. If you love to feel one with the road, no one’s gonna stop you. Me? I like a lightweight racing shoe. I prefer to run with something light, but also with the peace of mind that I won’t end my run with cuts and bruises on the soles of my feet.

1 Comment

Tagged , , , ,

Overcoming “The Wall”

Posted on October 15, 2018 by | 2 comments

If you’ve ever watched a marathon, you’ve probably seen some runners collapse just short of the finish line. Or you’re out on a run and it suddenly seems like you’ve completely run out of energy, despite your brain raring you to go. It’s almost as if the connection between your brain and your body has been severed. This is known as “Hitting The Wall”, or “Bonking” if you’re a cyclist.

Runners from the Dublin Marathon in 2013 – Photo from flickr

It was thought for a while that using up the body’s glucose reserves was the cause of this. Instead, a new study in Cell Metabolism surprisingly shows that “hitting the wall” actually happens when your brain cannot get access to sufficient glucose. While the muscles in our body can use fat or glucose as fuel, the brain can only use the latter.

When we hear the words “Progressive Training”, we often think of a training plan that increases in intensity and difficulty over time, therefore “improving our fitness” as we get used to longer and tougher bouts of exercise. For example, progressive training for marathon runners would involve increasing the total distance run per week over a period of time leading up to a marathon.

Endurance athletes often use GPS watches to track different aspects of their training such as distance, heart rate, cadence etc. – Photo from flickr

In reality, progressive training actually reprograms our muscles to burn less glucose and more fat while in use, thereby preserving it as an energy source for your brain. Research in the study focused on a transcription factor known as PPARδ (pronounced PPAR-delta). PPARδ triggers muscle composition changes in our body and “teaches” our muscles to consume fat as fuel instead of glucose. Progressive training gradually activates PPARδ.

In the first set of experiments in the study, researches at Lausanne Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Federale genetically knocked out PPARδ in the muscles of mice. The mice were then put on treadmills and the effects of the lack of PPARδ were studied. Dr Michael Downes said “”When we did this and then ran those animals on a treadmill, we found that the genes that are normally induced by exercise failed to be induced.”

With this information, they then fed another group of mice a small molecule drug that activated PPARδ. These mice were able to run for a longer time (160 mins vs 270 mins) compared to the mice that had PPARδ deactivated – despite no progressive training to improv their endurance. By activating PPARδ within the mice, they were able to mimic progressive training.

For endurance athletes like myself, this discovery is revolutionary. No matter how experienced, a marathon runner takes requires approximately 16 weeks of progressive training to achieve a new target time. While the research is still in its preliminary stages, a way to combine the effects of both progressive training and PPARδ could take athletic performance to a whole new level.

However, these findings can be exploited by athletes wanting a competitive edge. An entire new can of worms is opened with regards to the ethics of chemically activating PPARδ in competitive athletic events like the Olympics.

Nonetheless, the best promise lies in being able to improve the endurance in people who are unable to naturally activate PPARδ through training. People who are suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis to name a few, are often unable to get the exercise they need. This would eventually result in deterioration of their fitness. Chemically activating PPARδ in these people would allow them to enjoy the benefits of being fit without having to go through an intense training regime.

2 Comments

Posted in News

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Overcoming “The Wall”

Posted on September 23, 2018 by | Leave a comment

If you’ve ever watched a marathon, you’ve probably seen some runners collapse just short of the finish line. Or you’re out on a run and it suddenly seems like you’ve completely run out of energy, despite your brain raring you to go. It’s almost as if the connection between your brain and your body has been severed. This is known as “Hitting The Wall”, or “Bonking” if you’re a cyclist.

Runners at the Stockholm Marathon 2006 – Photo from flickr 

It was thought for a while that using up the body’s glucose reserves was the cause of this. Instead, a new study in Cell Metabolism surprisingly shows that “hitting the wall” actually happens when your brain cannot get access to sufficient glucose. While the muscles in our body can use fat or glucose as fuel, the brain can only use the latter.

The study shows that progressive training reprograms our muscles to burn less glucose and more fat while in use, thereby preserving it as an energy source for your brain. Research in the study focused on a transcription factor known as PPARδ (pronounced PPAR-delta). PPARδ triggers muscle composition changes in our body and “teaches” our muscles to consume fat as fuel instead of glucose. Progressive training gradually activates PPARδ.

In the first set of experiments in the study, researches at Lausanne Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Federale genetically knocked out PPARδ in the muscles of mice. The mice were then put on treadmills and the effects of the lack of PPARδ were studied. Dr Michael Downes said “”When we did this and then ran those animals on a treadmill, we found that the genes that are normally induced by exercise failed to be induced.”

With this information, they then fed another group of mice a small molecule drug that activated PPARδ. These mice were able to run for a longer time (160 mins vs 270 mins) compared to the mice that had PPARδ deactivated – despite no progressive training to improv their endurance. By activating PPARδ within the mice, they were able to mimic progressive training.

While these findings can be exploited by athletes wanting a competitive edge, the best promise lies in being able to improve the endurance in people who are unable to naturally activate PPARδ through progressive training. People who have been sidelined after a serious accident or suffering from diseases that such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis.

Leave a comment

Posted in News

Tagged , , , , , ,