Can long distance running cause your brain cells to leak?
Perhaps, says one German study. In doing some research on various
exercise techniques I stumbled across a report that claimed runners
and boxers had the same amount of potentially harmful protein,
S-100B, in their blood.
Elevated blood levels of S-100B protein, which leaks from
certain brain cells when they are traumatized, have been shown to
correlate with neuropsychological deficits.
A-ha! While I always admired you, I always knew you marathoners
were a little on the crazy side.
Alright, in all fairness the perspective of the author on the
piece under investigation was trying to make the point that
repeated impact caused by long term running puts an amazing amount
of stress on ankles, legs, knees, and hips. The cherry on his
reporting cake was a reference to a German report about the
surprising rise of S-100B protein in runners.
I dug deeper to get my hands on a summary of the actual study
and…brace yourselves…the data was hyped a bit.
TRUE, the researchers were surprised to see such a rise in
S-100B protein in the running disciplines.
TRUE, the levels for those who ran a 25k race were significantly
higher than those sparring in an amateur boxing ring.
TRUE, “exhaustive” cycling and heading a soccer ball 20 times in
a row (from 7.5 meters) caused no rise in S-100B levels.
Also TRUE, neuropsychological deficits are typically described
at occurring at levels above 500 ng/L.
The highest mean level in the study was noted from the amateur
boxing, which measured 117 nb/L. (The amateurs participated in
five, two-minute rounds. Twelve rounds of heavyweight boxing is
certain to bring much higher S-100B levels.) The 25k race netted a
mean of 66 nb/L, although it was interesting to note that one of
the eleven men measured somewhere close to 220 nb/L.
Based on that, I must conclude that the majority of my long
distance running friends may not be as crazy or at-risk as I had
feared. However, it does bring up an interesting question.
What would the S-100B levels compare for those running a full
marathon? How about those who run a marathon just after swimming
2.4 miles and cycling for 112 miles, as in the Iron Man?
And even if the neuropsychological concerns are still hyped at
more extreme sporting levels, when does a passion for a fitness
activity actually do more harm than good?
The author in the original material (an M.D.) was trying to make
the point that he sees far too many bad knees, damaged hips and
weak backs from his running patients.
What say you runners out there? Have you engaged in routines
that were too much on your body? In hindsight, are there changes
you would make in your running routine? Is there a safe median of
activity for the average bear?
Should runners consider a switch to cycling…or heading soccer
balls at 7.5 meters?
Reference:
M. Otto, et al. “Boxing and Running Lead to a Rise in Serum Levels
of S-100B
Good articles. but how is it relevant to passing IPPT running
2.4km !?