TRAINING ADVICE
Risks Associated with Endurance Running Events
What are the risks of taking part in an endurance running event ?
Marathons place a huge amount of physical stress on the body both on the skeletal frame and on the soft tissue structures . Injuries can occur because of stress placed on a particular tissue and the tissue not being able to manage or dissipate that stress .
The most common injury sites reported are various musculoskeletal injuries , muscle cramping , and dermatological conditions . Other medical encounters that can happen are sudden cardiac arrest , sudden cardiac death as well as acute coronary syndrome . Other non-cardiac risks are heatstroke , hyponatremia , exertional rhabdomyolysis , and acute kidney injury .
How do you mitigate the risks of taking part in an endurance running event ?
Given the inherent risk of performing prolonged moderate to highintensity exercise , such as during an endurance event , it goes without saying that one should take all necessary measures to ensure your body is healthy and adequately conditioned to cope with the demands of your intended race . This is especially the case for less experienced , novice runners or elderly and deconditioned runners .
Indeed , the biggest predictors of a cardiac-related ME during exercise are a runner with a family history and / or personal history of cardiovascular disease , having risk factors for CVD ( e . g ., hypertension , dyslipidemia , obesity ), living with chronic disease , and being on chronic medication . These “ at risk ” individuals are advised to prioritise regular medical checkups , especially before starting moderate to high-intensity exercise and before engaging in a prolonged endurance event .
How to reduce risk for a successful and safe TTOM 2025 : Lay the foundation !
Often individuals underestimate the amount of preparation that needs to take place in order to compete in an endurance event or even just to complete the event . To have a successful and safe TTOM 2025 , make sure you have a training plan . Make sure you schedule or periodise your training to maximise performance gains and ensure that your body is in peak physical condition to deal with the stress the event places on it . If you are “ at risk ” due to underlying health conditions , remember to prioritise regular medical check-ups , especially prior to starting moderate to highintensity exercise and prior to engaging in a prolonged endurance event .
Panic training increases risk
Panic training is cramming as much training as possible into a short space of time before the race . This scenario is likely to result in you not enjoying the event as well as drastically increasing your risk of injury . Panic training is quite common but must be avoided .
The reason that it does not work is that it completely negates the recovery needed through the training programme and usually results in an extremely high chronic load for you on the start line . To avoid panic training , make sure you start your training early and make sure that you have a training plan that gives you enough time to prepare for the race to avoid injury . Don ’ t leave your training to the last minute !
Therefore , pre-race risk assessment and medical screening are of utmost importance to identify runners potentially at greater risk of a serious ME and to ensure that those individuals undergo the necessary tests that approve their readiness to take part in a safe manner .
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