Running a marathon involves huge mental & physical challenges and has a big impact on your body right from brain to toe. Besides, increasing the possibility of cramps & sprains, there are many other consequences on the body which you may not expect.
Let us discuss these in detail:
- The Brain: Although running a marathon requires real mental toughness & determination, it also helps your brain function. Endurance running changes the way the brain communicates with the body. The muscles of the distant running respond more quickly to the signals of the brain as compared to those of people leading a sedentary lifestyle or lifting weights only. Running can really make you tune in to your body.
- Ears: Training for & running long distances can increase the blood circulation to the ear. Runners increase their hearing sensitivity after they have finished the run/marathon. This is due to better blood supply providing better nutrients & flushing waste products more efficiently.
- Coming up short: You may observe that when you finish the marathon, you are a little shorter than you were when you started it. This happens because of shrinkage of the spinal column. Your body loses water due to excess sweat & increased respiration. The decreased body fluid can cause discs between vertebrae to shrink as much as 2 cm overall. Regular running will not make you shorter. You will come back to normal height as soon as you rest & rehydrate.
- Sneezes: People will find that their noses run as fast as they do when running outside for long periods. Study has shown that runner’s hay fever is a common problem in individuals who do not suffer from allergies. It may be due to air flowing through your nose at a quicker rate when you are running a marathon due to the body’s increased oxygen requirements. The cells lining the nose respond to this stimulus with a flood of mucous, especially if the air is cold or dry. This mucus is what’s making your nose feel stuffy and your nostrils drip.
- Weighs lighter: Most runners are lighter as well as shorter after they have completed the marathon. Depending upon your size, you can lose from 2 kgs to 5 kgs during the race. However, it is important to note that it is not because of shedding calories but due to fluid you have lost. Slow rehydration until your urine is of colour pale straw is the recipe for recovery. You should not drink too much water during the race to prevent dehydration. Many people are hospitalised due to low salt in the body from over drinking than are from taking too less fluid. All the exercise will burn off calories between 2k to 3k. You will also empty your body’s energy- glycogen. You can replenish the glycogen stores by having at least 1 gram of carbohydrate per kg of body weight within a few hours after the finish.
An average runner takes more than thirty thousand strides that is tough on two body parts that takes most of the strain – toes and toenails. Bruised Jogger toes are most common affecting around 14% of runners taking part in marathons. Toenail injuries are common because of repeated impact & are made worse off if your foot can slide inside the shoes even fractionally.
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