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weekend. He was completing the 21 kilometre halfmarathon portion of the course. Top four major circumstances that lead to marathon runner deaths.
Running to death
Sweating
0 30 mins (3.25 miles)
IN MINUTES
Heart rate climbs to about 140 beats per minute in the rst half hour of the marathon. (Average resting heart rate is 75 beats per minute). Body temperature climbs to around 40C (average is 37C. Hotter weather can make it even higher. Extreme sweating to cool the body.
Burning fat
1 to 2 hrs (13 miles)
1 2 3 4
Heart rate steady at 135 beats per minute. The body is relying on carbohydrate fuel, in the form of glycogen manufactured by the liver. Start feeling thirsty.
Burning fat
Stomach cramps
2 to 3 hrs (20 miles)
Store of glycogen will be running low and your body will now start to burn fat to power the muscles. Feeling more thirsty. Need to get regular drinks to stop dehydration.
Point where runners may "hit the wall. The bodys glycogen stores are now exhausted. Muscles must rely on the breakdown of fat. May suffer stomach cramps due to the fact that oxygen-rich blood has been diverted away from the digestive system to the muscles. Runners who have not trained properly can start to experience difficulty breathing and there is too little oxygen reaching the muscles. By the end of this period, glycogen levels have bottomed out so blood sugar levels are very low. Blood sugar is needed as fuel for the brain, so you can feel fainty and cloudy. Some runners get mentally exhausted. You also start to go into anaerobic respiration. One of the by product of anaerobic respiration is lactic acid, which causes pain and muscular cramps. Joints, (knee caps, ankles) may become sore from the pressure of pounding on hard pavement.
3+ hrs
Exhaustion point:
If you have survived the last stage, then you might just make it to the nish line. This is the point where people at risk may suffer from heart attacks, because the heart is under maximum stress. Dehydration is also more likely, which thickens the blood and slows down the circulatory system. This means the heart needs to work harder than normal to pump the thick heavy blood. Pace has slowed.
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