Endurance Athletes May Pay Physical Price

The endurance competition known as the Ultraman could lead to muscle damage associated with insulin resistance, a new study reveals.

Ultraman athletes may also experience higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol and a drop in their testosterone levels. These negative health effects are temporary but call into question the long-term health of people who train for and compete in these races on a regular basis, researchers from Florida State University caution.

The three-day Ultraman includes an initial 6.2-mile open swim and a 90-mile bike ride. On day two, athletes complete a 172-mile bike ride and on the final day they run a double marathon, or 52.4 miles.
During the Ultraman competition last year in Florida, researchers assessed the health of 18 athletes, including four women.

“We’d analyze the competitors on the spot,” Michael Ormsbee, assistant professor of exercise science and sports nutrition at Florida State, said in a university news release. “We looked at everything we could to get a full picture of their health.”

The athletes were weighed every morning before they competed. They also gave urine and blood samples so researchers could monitor their blood sugar levels and other changes in their body.

The study, recently published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, found that, overall, the athletes lost body fat but they didn’t lose weight because they retained fluid.



The researchers also found noticeable signs of muscle damage, which suggests the competitors experienced reduced insulin sensitivity. When muscles because less sensitive to insulin, blood sugar levels increase – a symptom associated with type 2 diabetes, the study authors said.

“Given recovery, their insulin sensitivity likely returned to normal, but it was interesting to see how a presumably healthy activity can lead to symptoms associated with being very unhealthy,” one of the researchers, Danial Baur, a Florida State graduate student, said in the news release.

My Take:
We already know that years of endurance training causes left ventricular enlargement of the heart. Although this makes the heart more efficient, it often leads to atrial fibrillation (AF). We also know that training more than an hour a day provides an improvement in performance that diminishes as the duration increases. The more you exercise, the smaller the increase in improvement.

The long term issue is for these athletes to remain active life long, but learn to moderate their exercise habits. If they become sedentary, they will quickly develop health issues. We all remember the high school quarterback or basketball star that looked so unhealthy at the 20 year reunion. It seems that the athlete that stops exercising is at more risk that the non-athlete.

The Bottom Line:
The key is moderation. I’ve run a marathon, a few triathlons and cycled over 100 miles a day many times. I’ve given up the races but still enjoy the workouts, minus some of the intensity. I believe that strikes the balance that will help keep me healthy as I age.

Source: December 4, 2015 National Institutes of Health