in the ‘yes’ corner
Dr Joseph Mercola is a renowned physician and health expert. He was a runner for 43 years and has a marathon pb of 2:50.
What, in your opinion, are the dangers of prolonged cardio activities?
Chronic cardio can clearly produce fitness, but it is not the most efficient way and not the healthiest. High-intensity exercises can produce superior cardiovascular fitness in a fraction of the time, leaving time for other important health activities like sleep, family and relaxation.
With this in mind, would you say that ultramarathons, which can last in excess of 24 hours, can be bad for your health?
In my view, ultramarathons are far worse than the typical hour or two of cardio that most people undertake. Moreover, the enormous time commitments to training also typically comes at the expense of other healthy practices such as sleep, recovery and strength training. Such overtraining contributes to excessive hormonal stresses that radically increase one’s risk of injury.
What kind of running/exercise would you recommend above prolonged cardio activities such as marathons and ultramarathons?
If health is the primary goal, I would strongly discourage people from taking part in these activities and avoid the mistake that I and many others made by engaging in decades of chronic cardio. There is a silent epidemic of heart issues, such as fatal arrhythmias of elite athletes, which most people are unaware of. Don’t make the mistake of engaging in excessive cardio training. Runners would be far better served taking part in shorter, high-intensity workouts, strength training twice a week and a regular flexibility practice. Additionally, try to minimise sitting during the day as much as possible and, if possible, invest in a stand-up desk. These practices, along with a healthy diet and balanced lifestyle, are probably your best course of action if you wish to have a chance at being pain-free and highly mobile into your old age.
in the ‘no’ corner
Dr Martin Hoffman is a professor of Physical Medication & Rehabilitation.He’s also a research director for the Western States 100-mile ultramarathon.
You’re conducting extensive research into ultrarunners; have you found much to suggest that ultramarathons are bad for people’s health?
At this point, the baseline data shows that ultramarathon runners are a pretty healthy group. They lose little work or school due to illness or injury, and make less use of the medical care system compared with the general population. They do, however, appear to have a higher incidence of asthma and allergies.
Are those who take part in ultramarathons more likely to sustain injuries than those attempting shorter distances such as 10Ks?
Our work has found that the annual incidence of exercise-related injuries is similar between ultramarathon runners and shorter distance runners. Interestingly, stress fractures appear to be less common in ultramarathon runners than those running shorter distances, and when they occur they are more likely to involve the foot rather than the lower leg. This may relate to the fact that ultramarathon runners often do much of their running on uneven, technical trails. We also found there to be a greater risk of injury among younger and less experienced ultramarathoners, as well as those who spend a greater proportion of exercise time at high intensities.
Is there anything to suggest that ultramarathons are, in fact, a thoroughly healthy thing to attempt?
Firstly, I would say that most ultramarathon runners don’t run ultramarathons primarily for health reasons; you can be healthy without exercising to the level of the typical ultrarunner. The question is rather: is ultramarathon running too much of a good thing? At present, there are no long-term studies that have examined a large group of people who regularly exercise at the level of the typical ultramarathon runner – this is the intent of our ULTRA Study. However, even without knowing the eventual results from further studies, it’s evident that we aren’t seeing an epidemic of deaths among ultramarathon runners. This fact alone should offer some reassurance that it can’t be too bad!
