Running a Marathon Won’t Kill You

Big surprise huh? The New York Times recently published an article about a new study showing that you are 2 times more likely to die driving a given marathon course compared to running it. This new study is published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), which is the equivalent of the Journal or American Medical Association (JAMA).

It is funny how people so often worry about the fact that you could have a heart attack while running, yet the consequences of everyday activities like driving are never given a second thought. Normally the press will really play up the fact that someone died while running, while traffic related deaths have become such an ordinary part of life. I am not so biased that I don’t the irony in the fact that people can die while doing something that is good for you, but I think it speaks to how little we really know about the biolgical mechanisms by which exercise actually protects our health.

For example, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that your risk of a cardiac event does go UP while exercising relative to just sitting there. Of course there is also an overwhelming amount of evidence pointing to the least fit individuals being twice as likely to die from any number of a diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.). A paradox, perhaps. I look at more like a detective, what is it about continuinal increasing your risk and stressing your cardiovascular system that keeps it healthy. Much like the idea that you can “precondition” tissues to be able to better handle a subsequent similar stress the same is true with exercise. Short small bouts of stress are most certainly healthy for you.

So if you are thinking about running a marathon, don’t let your health risks stop you. Instead let the desire for good health drive you. Your body will thank you in the long run.