In a marathon, the human body is subjected to a long endurance challenge, and many physiological systems undergo a series of significant changes.
Understanding the changes that the body goes through when running a marathon can help us understand the sport more fully.
Energy source conversion
In long-distance events such as marathons, the energy supply of the athletes is particularly crucial.
At the beginning of the race, the body's energy source mainly depends on sugars, especially muscle glycogen and blood sugar. These sugars are a source of energy that the body can quickly utilize, supporting athletes to run at a high speed in the early stages.
However, as the race progresses, especially after a certain number of kilometers, muscle glycogen stores are quickly depleted and blood sugar levels drop.
At this time, in order to maintain the continuity of exercise, the body will begin to change the path of energy supply, from relying on sugar energy to relying on the oxidative decomposition of fat to provide energy.
While this conversion provides the body with a continuous supply of energy, the rate of fat oxidation is lower than the breakdown rate of sugars, which means that the body can get less energy from fats than from sugars in the same amount of time.
As a result, athletes experience the so-called "wall hitting" phenomenon, where they feel a sharp drop in energy, their bodies become extremely heavy, and it becomes extremely difficult to maintain the rhythm of the game.
To cope with this energy conversion, many marathon runners consciously increase their mileage in training to improve the utilization of fat as an energy source.
At the same time, scientific diet and energy supply during the competition are also crucial. A proper nutrition plan, such as the intake of easily digestible carbohydrates before and during competitions, can delay the onset of wall bumps, thereby helping athletes maintain high-performance performance for a longer period of time.
Heart rate and blood changes
The heart rate and blood changes of the marathon are an important part of the body's adaptation to the challenge of long-distance running.
In the fierce competition of the marathon, the body's demand for blood increases significantly, and this demand is met by the heart by increasing the speed of the heartbeat, so that the blood flow rate can reach 3 to 4 times the normal rate. This accelerated heartbeat not only ensures that muscles and other organs receive adequate oxygen and nutrients, but also promotes the efficient excretion of metabolic waste.
Especially during a marathon, the increased heart rate caused by exercise does not mean a simple increase in speed, but rather a natural response of the heart to the extremely high demands of exercise.
Increased cardiac output, i.e., the amount of blood excreted with each heartbeat, is a key factor in supporting athletes to run long distances. The increase in red blood cells increases the ability of blood to carry oxygen, which in turn more effectively supports the oxidative metabolism of muscles.
At the same time, the adrenaline rush experienced by marathon runners not only increases the heart rate, but also helps the blood vessels to dilate, thus better facing the body's blood circulation demands during long periods of high-intensity exercise.
Long-term running training, especially targeted cardiovascular training, can significantly improve the work efficiency and adaptability of the heart, so that it can more effectively support the body's needs when facing high-intensity physical challenges such as marathons.
Problems with body temperature and dehydration
Running a marathon, the body produces 30 to 40 times more heat than usual due to the increased intensity of exercise. This intense heat production makes sweat secretion key, as it helps maintain a stable body temperature by removing excess heat from the body through evaporation from the skin's surface.
However, sweat is more than just water, it also contains electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, which are essential for nerve and muscle function.
As the running distance increases, so does the loss of water and electrolytes in the body. If runners do not replenish enough water and electrolytes in a timely manner, they may become dehydrated. Dehydration can not only cause physical and mental fatigue, but in more severe cases, it can also lead to electrolyte imbalances, affect heart function, and even heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Therefore, to prevent these problems, runners should take care to hydrate and electrolytes before and during the race, especially in hot weather. An effective strategy is to fill up with small amounts of water or electrolyte-containing sports drinks every 15 to 20 minutes to avoid stomach upset or water poisoning caused by large amounts of quick water drinks.
In addition, hydration exercises that simulate race conditions during training can also help runners better manage their water and electrolyte balances during the actual race.
With proper hydration and electrolyte supplementation, runners can not only effectively prevent dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, but also enhance overall race performance and ensure health and safety during the race.
Challenges to the immune system
Marathon is a sport that challenges the limits of the human body, especially in terms of the immune system, and its impact cannot be ignored.
Runners who complete a full marathon often find themselves unusually sensitive to viruses and bacteria that don't normally catch a cold.
This is because the levels of fatigue hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol in the body rise significantly during prolonged high-intensity exercise. Although these hormones can increase the body's energy supply in a short period of time and help runners complete the race, they can also suppress the function of the immune system and reduce the body's defenses against pathogens.
From a nutritional point of view, running a marathon for a long time depletes a lot of energy reserves, especially sugars. When the body's carbohydrate energy is depleted and fat is used as an energy source, not only will the metabolic process produce a large number of free radicals, but also increase the body's oxidative stress, which has a certain negative impact on immune function.
Proper nutritional supplementation, especially antioxidant intake, can help alleviate this effect.
Further, prolonged exercise not only increases the risk of infection, but can also lead to a temporary decrease in the number of certain immune cells, such as lymphocytes. This is usually most noticeable within 24 to 72 hours after exercise ends, when the immune system is at its most vulnerable.
Therefore, during this time frame, runners need to pay special attention to personal hygiene and avoid direct contact with viruses and bacteria to avoid increasing the risk of getting sick.
While marathons are extremely challenging and rewarding, their effects on the immune system are a double-edged sword, helping to push one's limits and potentially posing health risks.
Therefore, pre-race preparation and post-race recovery, especially in terms of nutritional supplementation and personal hygiene, are essential to maintain a runner's immune system stable.
Muscle damage and kidney function
Marathons are physically challenging for runners, especially in terms of muscle structure and kidney function. During the event, sustained high-intensity running can cause significant damage to muscle fibers, mainly due to impact and muscle overuse.
Prolonged exercise can lead to micro-tears in the muscles, which is a major cause of muscle soreness and weakness that you feel right after exercising.
In addition, during marathon sports, the body needs to maintain exercise for a long time at high intensity, which leads to the accumulation of large amounts of lactic acid and other metabolic waste products. The kidneys, as important detoxification organs, need to process these large amounts of metabolites.
If the kidneys can't remove these waste products at the rate they can produce, it can cause short-term effects on kidney function, such as hormonal imbalances and electrolyte imbalances.
Proper nutrition and hydration are essential to reduce these damages and support kidney health. High-quality protein can help repair damaged muscle fibers, while adequate water intake helps accelerate the elimination of metabolic waste products and reduce the burden on the kidneys.
Therefore, a nutrition and hydration strategy before and after a marathon is essential to protect the kidneys and promote muscle recovery.
Muscle damage and impaired kidney function are inevitable in marathons, but these negative effects can be minimized with proper training, proper nutrition and hydration. This not only helps athletes perform better in competition, but also protects their long-term health.
Marathons are not easy tasks, and they have a profound impact on every physiological system.
In marathon training and competition, runners need to fully understand the physiological changes and needs of their bodies. This includes aspects such as the body's energy supply, muscle and bone capacity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and water and electrolyte balance.
At the same time, they also need to learn to adjust their mentality correctly and maintain a positive and optimistic attitude to cope with the pressure and challenges of training and competition.
Only by mastering the correct running and conditioning skills can you better move forward on the road of marathon.