Doctor to study Manitoba Marathon's effects on runners' hearts
A Winnipeg doctor is taking advantage of this weekend's Manitoba Marathon to embark on a unique study of the hearts of competitors of the 42.2-kilometre race.
Dr. Davinder Jassal will study 15 local participants in the Manitoba Marathon on Sunday. As soon as the volunteers cross the finish line, they'll be transported to St. Boniface Hospital to undergo MRI testing.
"We're looking specifically to see if there's any swelling or damage to the right side of the heart after they run the marathon," he said.
Two similar studies have been done, but neither used MRIs, Jassal said. One at the Boston Marathon used ultrasound tests, while another in Manitoba used blood tests.
In the Boston study, ultrasounds showed the left sides of runners' hearts pumping normally, but the right sides were a little weak, Jassal said, though the hearts recovered within a week.
The Manitoba blood work showed mild increases in a blood marker that suggested the runners' hearts had been damaged.
"In this marathon study, we're going to actually put them all together. We're going to do tests on their blood. At the same time, we're going to look at ultrasounds of their heart to see how the blood to their heart is, and then finally look at MRIs to the heart, because MRI is really able to tell you the fine details of the heart," Jassal said.
Incidents of runners dying during competition have been highlighted in recent years, with heart-related problems a common thread.
In the Little Rock Marathon in Arkansas two weeks ago, a 27-year-old man died in hospital after finishing the competition. Deaths were also reported in the 2007 Chicago Marathon and the 2007 U.S. Men’s Olympic trials. In the Toronto event, there have been three deaths since 2001.
Amateur runners possibly more at risk
Jassal stresses that the Boston and Manitoba studies do not suggest all marathon running is bad for the heart.
Regular endurance activity improves blood pressure, decreases cholesterol, and lowers the risk of cardiac arrest, Jassal said.
However, the previous studies showed that amateur runners — those who train less than about 55 kilometres per week — were more likely to demonstrate the heart problems.
"It's more important for those patients or athletes who are amateur runners, the non-elites who think, 'Well, I'm just going to start running. I'll run a marathon,' without actually doing the training," he said.
"This is more for telling those individuals that if we do see swelling of your heart, perhaps you should do more extra training before you run the full marathon."
The Manitoba Marathon, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, starts and ends at the University of Manitoba's Fort Garry campus. The full course takes runners on a winding route through Norwood, Wolseley and River Heights.