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Int J Sports Med 1999; 20(7): 482-486
DOI: 10.1055/s-1999-8824
Orthopedics and Clinical Science
Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ·New York

Short-Term Effects of Marathon Running in Master Runners: No Evidence of Myocardial Injury

  A.  Lucía1 ,  M. Morán2 ,  M. Pérez1 ,  A. Saborido2 ,  E. Díaz3 ,  A. Megías2 ,  J. L. Chicharro4
  • 1 Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas y Fisiología, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  • 2 Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad des Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  • 3 Centro Nacional de Investigación y Ciencias del Deporte (CNICD), Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD), Madrid, Spain
  • 4 Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Publication History

Publication Date:
31 December 1999 (online)

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The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the short-term effects of marathon running on serum levels of cardiac markers in a group of master runners (> 60 yrs). Ten marathoners (9 male and 1 female; 63 ± 4 yrs) were enrolled in the study. All of them completed the Madrid Marathon (1998). Venous blood was drawn from each subject three times during the study (48 h before the race, immediately after the race, and 24 h post-competition) for the determination of the several biochemical markers, such as total creatine kinase catalytic activity (total CK), mass concentration of creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB mass), and cardiac troponin I (TnI-c). The most important finding was that in each sample (pre- or post-race) serum TnI-c was below the commonly accepted level of 0.1 ng × ml-1 indicative of myocardial injury. Although further research is needed using more complete methodology, our results suggest that marathon running does not have an acute deleterious effect on the hearts of the elderly.

Key words:

Endurance exercise - aging - cardiac troponin

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PhD MD José L. Chicharro

Escuela de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Podología Facultad de Medicina Universidad Complutense de Madrid

E-28040 Madrid

Spain

Phone: +34 (1) 3941366

Fax: +34 (1) 3941539

Email: jlchicharro@enf.ucm.es