Training for and completing a first-time marathon “reverses” ageing of major blood vessels, with older and slower runners benefiting the most, according to research presented at a European Society of Cardiology meeting.
Study author Dr Anish Bhuva, a British Heart Foundation Fellow at UCL, said: “Novice runners who trained for six months and completed their first marathon had a four-year reduction in arterial age and a 4 mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure. This is comparable to the effect of medication, and if maintained translates to approximately 10% lower risk of stroke over a lifetime.”
A hallmark of normal ageing is stiffening of the blood vessels, including the aorta, the most important blood vessel because it carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. This stiffening increases the risk of conditions such as stroke and heart disease. However, this process is not inevitable and many studies have shown that exercise over a lifetime reduces aortic stiffening.
This study looked at whether training for a marathon could modify aortic stiffness even in novice runners. It included 139 healthy first-time marathon runners aged 21–69 years who were advised to follow a first-time finisher training programme and ran an estimated 6–13 miles a week for six months ahead of completing the 2016 or 2017 London Marathon.
Before they started training and two weeks after completing the marathon, participants had MRI and ultrasound scans of the heart and blood vessels, a fitness test, and measurements of blood pressure and heart rate. Biological age of the aorta was calculated at both time points.
After completing the marathon, aortic stiffness had reduced and the aorta was biologically four years younger than before training. Older participants and those with longer marathon finish times had greater reductions in aortic stiffness after training, because they had stiffer vessels at baseline. Reductions in aortic stiffness were independent of changes in blood pressure.
Dr Bhuva said: “You don’t have to be an elite athlete to gain the benefits from marathon running, in fact the benefits appeared greatest in those who were older and slower. By completing training, and getting to the finish line, it is possible to rejuvenate the cardiovascular system of first-time marathon runners.”
Fitness improved and heart rate dropped slightly after training, but Dr Bhuva said aortic stiffness and blood pressure changed more.
“The study shows that the health gains of lifelong exercise start to appear after a relatively brief training programme,” Dr Bhuva said. “Training for a marathon can be a good motivator to keep active,” he added. “Many people enjoy it and continue running, which should increase the likelihood of sustaining the benefits.”
