Profiling Collapsing Half Marathon Runners-Emerging Risk Factors: Results from Gothenburg Half Marathon.
Amir Khorram-ManeshTherese LöfMats BörjessonFinn NilsonSofia ThorssonFredrik LindbergEric CarlströmPublished in: Sports (Basel, Switzerland) (2019)
Among several serious medical conditions, arrhythmia and heat stroke are two important causes of death during endurance races. Clinically, collapsing might be the first sign of these serious conditions and may mimic the more common and benign exercise-associated collapse. Several risk factors have been reported in the literature. We aimed to conduct a qualitative study to find a perceived risk profile among runners who collapsed and who were transported by ambulances to the nearest hospital during Gothenburg's half marathon (2010-2017). Collapsing runners seem to lack the ability to make a decision to withdraw from the contest despite being exhausted. They feel the pain, but are unable to put meaning to their feeling, to adjust their pacing, and to handle other influences. Consequently, they do not overcome the problem or assess the situation. These individual mental characteristics may indicate a unique profile for collapsing runners. Pre-race health control and educational initiatives aiming at mental preparedness and information before endurance races might be a necessary step to avoid life-threatening complications.
Keyphrases
- risk factors
- mental health
- high intensity
- healthcare
- public health
- resistance training
- skeletal muscle
- systematic review
- chronic pain
- health information
- social support
- depressive symptoms
- atrial fibrillation
- body composition
- emergency department
- heat stress
- neuropathic pain
- spinal cord
- heart failure
- spinal cord injury
- electronic health record
- brain injury
- drug induced
- infectious diseases
- decision making
- climate change