Cape Town Marathon Digimag Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

Medical MEDICAL ADVICE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:By Dr Darren Green, Race Doctor, Mediclinic Mediclinic is the official medical partner to the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. QUESTION ONE: CAN I RUN WHEN I HAVE FLU? Answer: The most common cause of flu is a viral upper respiratory tract infection. If you have mild symptoms such as a runny nose, a sore throat without fever and without general body aches and pains, you can safely resume training a few days after your symptoms resolve. If however you have a fever, tiredness, muscle aches or swollen lymph glands; you should wait 2 weeks before you resume exercise. The following are signs and symptoms that suggest you are not fit enough to exercise: • Poor performance and the inability to maintain pre-illness exercise levels • Fatigue • Return of symptoms like headache, muscle pain and fever • Increased heart rate at rest • If it takes longer to recover after exercise compared to when you feel fit and healthy) If you are unsure, the safest course of action is to consult your doctor prior to the race QUESTION TWO: HOW DO I MANAGE CRAMP? Answer: Cramps are common even in experienced runners. The exact cause of cramping is a contentious issue and may involve many factors. Cramp can be experienced by individuals that overexert a fatigued muscle. It can also be due to electrolyte abnormalities, or heat stress. If you experience cramp, stop running, stretch the muscle and apply ice. Ice will be available at water points. While you stretch the muscle, have an isotonic beverage. It is recommended that the drink should be a 6% carbohydrate electrolyte solution. Should you experience involuntary twitching of your muscles, or you have more than one part of your body affected, it could have a more serious cause. Seek out the assistance of the physiotherapists available along the route. The Mediclinic medical team will be on hand should cramping persist and it requires further medical treatment. QUESTION THREE: IS IT SAFE TO TAKE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS ON RACE DAY? Answer: No, it is not safe or recommended to use anti-inflammatory medications during the race. During sustained exercise, blood is diverted away from the gut and diverted to your muscles. Most anti-inflammatory medications have ulceration of the stomach lining as part of the side effect profile. Taking anti-inflammatory medications on an empty stomach and in a setting of lower blood supply to the gut will increase the risk of ulceration. In the same way that these medications treat the pain and inflammation associated with injury, anti-inflammatory medications can mask the severity of the injury by removing the pain response and subsequently result in even more severe injury. An unfortunate consequence of anti-inflammatory medications is that the same molecules that cause and promote inflammation are also responsible for maintaining the flow of blood to the kidneys. Taking anti-inflammatory medication can block the flow of blood to the kidneys resulting in kidney damage. Should you become dehydrated this effect could be enhanced further and the damage to the kidney could be more severe. It might result in permanent damage. Should you experience severe pain during the race, please present yourself to one of the Mediclinic crew members, and you will be assessed and advised accordingly. Mediclinic are our medical partners, and will be looking after you on race day FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCIES: 080 911 9111 FOR GENERAL ENQUIRIES SUNDAY: 021 417 4150 • There will be a full medical tent at the finish, and a medic with a golf cart will assist with the transport of injured runners to the race hospital. • Information relating to runners who have been admitted to the medical tent will be available at the information centre, located on the field at the finish. Mediclinic & ER24 Medical Points & Deep Heat Massage zones will be located at the following points along the marathon route: • At 21.1km on Main Road Rondebosch outside Groote Schuur residence • At 33.8km on Liesbeek Parkway opposite Hartleyvale stadium in Observatory • At 40.2km on Chiappini Street next to the Prestwich Museum • There will be a full medical and massage tent at the finish • Several mobile ER24 ambulances or Medical Personnel will be stationed approximately every 5km along the route. FOR ANY MEDICAL EMERGENCIES CALL 40 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon | 14 th & 15 th September 2019 080 911 9111

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