If I’m feeling a bit harsh I describe the marathon as the biggest event around the world that causes injuries and illness in the general population. Basically, thousands of people that have never run before train and run just about the longest race you can possible enter.

I have seen numerous patients that have become ill from training and running a marathon. I mean in this case from a nutrient deficient or depletion way rather than a physical injury, although The Perrymount’s osteopaths see loads these physical pain type injuries too.

Common problems after a marathon

Not recovering from the initial fatigue
Anxiety
General aches and pains and inflammation that isn’t recovering
Digestive upsets
Anxiety and stress feelings
Weight gain which is stubborn to lose

Stress

The human body responds to stress in virtually the same way whatever the stress. So emotional stress, which we usually think of as “stress”, causes an increase in the stress hormone cortisol. But other types of stress do the same; lack of sleep, getting up early, staying up late, playing computer games, looking at phone screens, eating badly, injury yourself, being in pain, over exercising, like for example running a marathon.

A little is good a lot is bad

This stress hormone is a natural hormone. You may have heard of the fight or flight situation? This is where something frightens us and we either run away or defend ourselves. In modern day living this goes wrong more and more often as it stays switched on in the longer term. It is meant to come into action and when the danger goes switch itself off. It is know that this stress in small amounts helps us but when it becomes uncontrolled and stays too high and switched on in the long term it can be very detrimental.

Thyroid and adrenal glands

The body organs that play a large role in this process are the adrenal glands and the thyroid. You may have heard of the thyroid as it is often a reason for weight gain having "low thyroid”. A very common pattern with these two organs is the adrenal glands running fast and buzzy as they make adrenalin and cortisol during stress times and the thyroid gland being suppressed and slowed in response. This has the effect of slowing metabolism and possibly causing weight gain. Using a thyroid hormone is what is offered from the GP in this situation if the blood test shows you are low enough (very often not) but what is behind the scenes in the high stress and must be supported too so it allows the thyroid to bounce back of it’s own accord.

Marathon training

You could view marathon training as having your “fight or flight” response switched on all the time you are running. On top of this you have the excitement and worry about the marathon added on top, which is more cortisol. What if you have had other previous stresses in your life that might make you very sensitive and responsive to these stress hormones already? You are sort of “primed” to have a quick stress response. Something can stress you that is very small that maybe wouldn’t have normally.

Deficiencies

Lots of running will also use up more nutrients in your body leaving you with less nutrients to repair yourself after all the running! The way you would have avoided this happening is to eat much better or to take nutritional supplements. Did you eat twice as well when training than when you weren’t? By eating well and eating better I don’t just mean more pasta for the calories for energy, I mean more fruits, veg, meat and healthy fats to provide you with amino acids, vitamins, minerals etc to feed your body and repair it.

The analogy of comparing a car to the human body works well here. If you were running a car faster and longer then you would fill up with fuel more often and with better quality fuel and maybe you change the oil more often and even the tyres. If you are doing more, you have to add more in to keep going.

Post-natal

As we see lots of mums and new babies at the clinic I want to add this section in. Growing a baby and placenta inside you, delivering a baby, looking after a baby, not sleeping because of a baby is a bit like running a marathon! You can be tired and depleted. Now consider this. Are you a mum that has gone through this once, twice or even three times and have then decided to run a marathon? Are you seeing how this can leave a strain on your body?

Help at The Perrymount

Much of the problems I have described are due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies and weakness in organs, like the adrenal glands, that can be rectified through nutritional and lifestyle advice. Christian Bates uses the Avatar machine to locate the weakened organs and find the correct, targeted supplements to bring you back to a state of health. We can also look into lifestyle changes and dietary advice to further support recovery.

Have a read of this Blog by Christian on the Thyroid gland and it’s related problem here and also read more about the Avatar scan here