A new study looks at the effects of endurance running on the body. A report presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) that shows what fat and muscle tissues are used during running. Research was conducted during the TransEurope-FootRace 2009, that took place from April 19 to June 21 last year and covered 4,488 kilometers traveling from the southern tip of Italy to the North Cape of Norway.Researchers found that runners lost an average of 5.4 percent body volume during the course of the race. Most of that loss occurred in the first 2,000 kilometers. Participants lost 40 percent of their body fat in the first half of the race, and 50 percent over the duration of the race. Loss of muscle volume in the leg averaged 7 percent.
The race pushed runners to the extreme, which most runners don’t accomplish, however the study helps provide data on implications for the marathon runner as well as the recreational runner.
Uwe Schultz, M.D., a specialist in orthopedics and trauma surgery in the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at the University Hospital of Ulm in Germany, who conducted the study, presents several findings.
- The first tissue affected by running is fat tissue.
- Some leg injuries are safe to run through.
- Runners who stop running regularly should reduce their calories and opt for a different aerobic exercise to avoid weight gain.
- MRI shows the effects of long-distance running on the body.
Runners should pay attention to leg injuries, however the old rule that you should stop running if there is pain may no longer apply, according to Dr. Schultz. If a runner has intermuscular inflammation in the upper or lower legs, it is usually possible to continue running without risk of further tissue damage. It’s still important to note that overuse injuries, such as joint inflammation, carry more risk of progression, but not always persistent damage.
Participants included 44 of the race’s runners (66 percent). These runners submitted to urine and blood samples and allowed biometric data to be collected daily from tests and exams including electrocardiograms. Twenty-two of the runners underwent whole-body MRI exams every three or four days for the 64-day period.