New Study Proves Marathons Could Cause Kidney Injury

Doing physical exercises help us stay healthy and in shape, but what we did not know is that running in marathons could cause kidney injury. Running for long distances may have serious health consequences. A new study indicates that people who usually participate in marathons can suffer short-term kidney injury. The new study was recently published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

Marathon runners could experience short-term kidney injury

Scientists developed a survey, collecting urine and blood samples from 22 people who participated in the 2015 Hartford Marathon. They examined the samples, looking for evidence of possible kidney injuries. Researchers reported that based on the analysis they unveiled that 82% of runners proved to experience stage 1 acute kidney injury after the race.

This issue appeared to be for a limited period and most people returned to their initial state of health within 24 to 48 hours. Nevertheless, researchers claimed that their discovery highlights the fact that running a marathon could be very stressful for the body. Dr. Chirag Parikh, a professor of medicine at Yale University, stated that he was surprised by how damaged the kidneys could be after a marathon, comparing it with the cases he sees in hospitals.

The factors which trigger this injury are dehydration and decreased blood flow to the kidney.

To reveal all the effects of marathon races on the human body, scientists need to continue their research. However, Parikh noted that people who do not present risk factors for kidney illnesses probably do not have to worry about this. People who are diagnosed with diabetes or who have high blood pressure should work with trainers and do periodic check-ups to analyze the health of their kidney.

Parikh pointed out that kidney injury could occur due to decreased blood flow to the kidney. Moreover, dehydration and high core body temperature could also contribute to the development of this type of injuries. Nevertheless, specialists did not establish yet whether this short-term injury could eventually trigger cumulative damage or if some marathon runners may not be able to recover.

Even if experts recommend exercising as being good for our health, we should keep in mind that just as no exercising at all is unhealthy, so it is with too much exercising. A review from 2015 released in the Current Sports Medicine Reports indicated runners tend to live longer than non-runners. Apparently, running the most gives you the worse survival rates.

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