Bad news for the runners among us…
While running long distances is good for our bodies, it looks like it might be bad for our brains, as new research is claiming that running super long distances can shrink the brain by a whole 6%.
That’s a lot of brain to lose…
Luckily, this effect isn’t usually caused by any normal long distance runs and marathons.
The findings from Uwe Schütz and his team at the University Hospital of Ulm in Germany found that runs of between 31- 100 miles (usually called ultras) can lose a significant portion of their brain size.
The team have theorised that this can be because of the lack of stimulation during the long runs, with only the road in front of the runner to focus on!
For any of you that are thinking of running 100 miles any time soon, fear not- the damage is probably not permanent. Schütz and his team blieve normal brain function will return within eight months.
“The reversibility of the changes at follow-up supports the finding that [gray matter] changes in chronic diseases like chronic pain are… functional and reversible” he says.
“Accordingly, relevant and persisting long-term effects on the brain’s integrity in ultramarathon runners are less likely to occur.”
Even so, to be on the safe side, we’re going to stick with the 10Ks…