Running is one of the exercises that most of us believe will help us lose weight and get our bodies into the right shape. From my experience, it is true that you will cut down on weight once you get committed to running. Talking about the body shape, running is just not the ideal deal.
This is because running will just make your butt flat, other than giving it the desired appearance. For every professional athlete, discipline and commitment are major virtues. For the professional runners to have that perfect distance runner body, they undergo a lot of exercises which include more than just running. Read on and get to know what running does to your body.
General Traits of Marathon Runners
For you to qualify to be a marathoner and have that ideal marathon runner body, there are some traits that you need to possess so as to thrive. They are:
Lactate Threshold
When anaerobic respiration occurs, the human body experiences a build-up of lactic acid. This is what lactate threshold entails. This is a major trait of marathon runners, and their level of lactate threshold is greater, compared to that of sprinters.
It allows the distance runners to have a higher oxygen intake, which in turn boosts the capacity of their lungs. The normal threshold of a marathon runner is 85 percent.
A Higher Rate of Hemoglobin
An increased amount of hemoglobin in a human body translates to a higher amount of oxygen transported in the body. For professional long distance runners, their bodies have a higher rate of hemoglobin compared to what average human beings have. I have been running for some years now, and my trainer made me understand this point.
The higher rate of hemoglobin plays a significant role in increasing the amount of oxygen in the body as the runners maximize every single breath they take, and this is the reason why they make it through the long distance races without fainting.
A Tendency to Make Quick Recovery After Running
Every successful marathon runner has to train by running frequently. This puts so much stress on her body, and for her to make it during the actual race, her body has to make a quick recovery. Can you imagine a marathoner who cannot even walk or move her body after finishing the race?
How will she celebrate her win? Such a person needs to be able to speak even to the journalists to describe how she was able to win the race; this is not possible with one who faints at the crossing line.
There are several factors bound to affect an athlete’s ability to recover, such as the period chosen for training, the age of the runner, the diet you as a runner is used to, sleeping patterns and your training history.
A High VO2 Max
This is the ability of the body’s muscles to transport and put to use greater amounts of oxygen. A higher VO2 max translates to a higher amount of oxygen your body can utilize. I tend to believe I have a higher VO2 max because whenever I go jogging with my children every morning, I tend to outrun them every day.
It’s not because they are lazy, they always try to perform to their full potential but I keep doing more laps than they do. Can you imagine they are teenagers with warm blood and still run more laps than they do?
Tendency to Be Never Content
Running for long distances is no joke. Only the strong hearted can make it through it. For marathon runners, they practice, take part in the actual race, win and get medals. After their success, they are never content. They still practice, because they desire to win more races, get more medals and gain more popularity.
My case is always entirely different, whenever I go running with my kids there is always a reward for the winner. It might sound like a useless reward but the winner always gets the opportunity to take some beer bought by the losers of the race.
This is my family tradition, and everyone knows about it. This doesn’t mean I am the one who always drinks a lot because at times I deliberately decide to lose so as not to drink excessively.
General Impacts of Distance Running to a Runner’s Body
Distance runners are regarded as elite athletes. Their bodies are quite fit due to the constant training and racing. What most of us do not realize is that the marathoners are prone to negative effects due to the intense activities they engage in, despite what we view as perfect fitness. Here are some of the potential physical problems that marathoners are prone to:
Injuries
Even if running does not involve full contact, there is also a high potential that you will get hurt. Common injuries experienced by marathoners are such as plantar fasciitis-having a painful foot-, muscle strain and shin splints. I have suffered from these injuries, and I know how painful the they are.
Prevention is undisputedly better than cure, and so, you can prevent some of these injuries by treating yourself with a rest day or better, building up mileage step-by-step. In case you experience injuries, make sure that you recover completely before hitting the road once more.
Reduced Immunity
After a big race, most marathoners suffer from compromised immunity. To avoid this, you need to do something to enhance your diet by consuming vitamin supplements which regulate digestion such as probiotics, eat healthy by having meals composed of a balanced diet and get enough sleep. That will certainly serve you by making your visits to the doctor less frequent.
Inflammation
Long distance runners are prone to muscle inflammation which is quite persistent compared to that involved in other exercises. You need not worry because the remedy is quite simple. You only need to increase your mileage as you train. Inflammation gets quite uncomfortable, and in worse conditions, damage related to oxidation is approved to be carcinogenic.
What Are the Impacts of Running on a Female Runner’s Body?
Estrogen
Estrogen hormone is a major factor involved in the female’s body in so many aspects which range from metabolism, bone health and functioning of the lungs. Estrogen level is also that particular hormone that will make you different from your opponents in the race.
The best time to maximize on your training is when the estrogen levels are high and that time when the estrogen levels are high is the period just before ovulation, as the menstrual follicular phase ends and as the luteal phase is in progress.
If one day the race date is coincidental with your ovulation period, take opportunity of that rare occurrence and prove yourself. I have always waited for this coincidence in my life, but it has never happened. I haven’t given up though if one day a marathon racing event will be scheduled just before my ovulation period then I will surprise people.
Menstrual Irregularities
As female distance runners train hard, it reduces their levels of body fat which leads to the disruption of the menstrual cycle. In the long run, this causes the estrogen levels to be extremely low. Disruptions of the menstrual cycle will make you prone to stress fractures and osteoporosis due to increased density of the bone mineral.
To avoid stress fractures, you need to consume food rich in vitamin D and calcium and at the same time, engage in strength training. To increase the estrogen content in your body, you can take some oral contraceptives. I have been taking these contraceptives, and I can confirm that they will boost your estrogen levels.
Bleeding
For female runners who experience heavy menstrual bleeding, hemoglobin levels may decrease, potentially affecting oxygen transport to body tissues and muscles. Iron becomes a crucial nutrient in this context, as it’s an essential component of hemoglobin.
Consuming iron-rich foods is important to help prevent athletic anemia, a condition that can occur among female distance runners, particularly those training at high altitudes. Athletes experiencing symptoms such as unusual fatigue, decreased performance, or other concerning signs should consult with a healthcare provider for proper evaluation and treatment recommendations.
Wrap Up
Now that you have acquired enough information regarding marathon runners and running in general, we believe that you can also be a marathon runner if you set your mind to be one. Just make up your mind and become who you want to be. It is never too late.
If you somehow feel like you have what it takes, you can be one of the resilient marathoners in the world history. Everything comes with a price though, just be sure that you can endure the effects of running in the long-term.
