Marathon Running Won’t Harm Arteries.
In recent years, there’s been debate about whether endurance activities, like marathons, are harmful for the heart. In a new study, researchers tested the arteries of 97 runners who had competed in long distance races and found no evidence of a link between these endurance activities and atherosclerosis. Lead author Dr. Axel Pressler adds, “Our study shows that runners who have finished 20 marathons do not have stiffer arteries or more impaired vessel function than people of the same age who have finished five or zero marathons … It appears that you can run as many marathons as you want and not be in danger of developing impaired blood vessel function or atherosclerosis.”
European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, June 2017