Sensitive runners collapsing

Anyone could have an un-known heart problem, which could be dormant. Take the Bolton Footballer who seems perfectly fit, but had a problem heart - which failed only once. Luckely, he survived, but retired from football.

I say, just do what you do, or have a check-up. I've seen runners collapse, all due to exhaustion, especially on track training, of all ages. Saw a kid at the track go sick after a speed session, and a late-teen runner trip over himself after loosing his footing. 

Years ago the parents of one set of second cousins of mine went out to the cinema one evening, leaving 17yr old boy in charge, 14 yr old girl and younger brother.

Phone rang, 14 yr old girl got off sofa to answer it and dropped down dead.

Yes undetected heart defect.

People are going to die at the most inconvenient times and in the most inconvenient places for OTHER people.

It's not about other people.

Just talk honestly and sensitively to children about the subject and get on with being active and as happy as possible in a fairly futile existence.

Just after the LM this year there was an article in RW about heart conditions and running - haven't read it in full but it may be beneficial if you can find it on here?

There are lots of people as other have said, who have indiagnosed heart conditions as well - actually I often wonder if some people who undertake sports actually live longer than they may have done being a couch potato - no proof just me wondering.

In addition, accidents hapen - I was out running yesterday and ran past a RTA involving a motorbike; cyclist and car - I was fine and think they were all ok. but putting it in perspective helps. Not great confidence boost for me though - I use a motorbike for work as does my husband and son! LOL maybe I'll have to stick to running!

was the collapse at robin hood yesterday as my family said someone had collapsed in front of the line and 2 runners carried him over. what running is all about a little family who look out for each other. I always ask if people are ok and encouraging words to walkers as i know i like it on tough run

Crimson.....is your eldest always looking for logical answers to everything or is it just you that worries them.........

more young  people will die in car crashes than anything else

One thing I will say is that as a runner/fit person you are more likely to notice a heart defect before someone else as you will notice a drop off in your fitness more so than a couch potato.

I recently noticed that when I pushed it or did hills I was not recovering as fast afterwards as I was used to - thinking maybe I had a lung issue I went to Docs and had chest x-ray etc and no lung issues but he sent me for heart tests. To cut a long story short I have to have a heart scan tomorrow as there are potential issues with heart palpatations.

Moral here is as a runner if you notice a drop off in your fitness levels for no aparent reasons go see Doctor.

killermiles wrote (see)

Anyone could have an un-known heart problem, which could be dormant. Take the Bolton Footballer who seems perfectly fit, but had a problem heart - which failed only once. Luckely, he survived, but retired from football.

I say, just do what you do, or have a check-up. I've seen runners collapse, all due to exhaustion, especially on track training, of all ages. Saw a kid at the track go sick after a speed session, and a late-teen runner trip over himself after loosing his footing. 

On the flip side check out Eddie Merckx (ignore the doping allegations and positive test for now!) who rode his careeer with a heart defect and did not die during any of his TdF victories. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/did-merckx-ride-with-potentially-lethal-heart-problem

Having had a tachycardia episode on a HM just over a year ago and since, having had the whole gamut of tests to see if they could see what had caused it and any other underlying problems, I have read quite a large amount of medical research on the heart and sport and I would say that in the main sport does benefit your heart health. If you look at the 11 deaths over the years in the LM they are, apart from the guy who died from drinking too much water back in 2008 I think, divided into two types.  Younger athletes under 35 with congenital heart problems that have never shown before, and older runners who have suffered the classic heart attack caused by blocked coronary arteries.  Probably both groups will have suffered heart attacks at some point in the future but the marathon probably has brought them on sooner.

Because of the profile of heart health after the Fabrice Muamba incident all the Team GB athletes had to undergo extensive testing.  A large number of heart "electrical" problems were detected and two athletes were told they would have to undergo a procedure called ablation before they would be allowed to compete.

Thanks for all the responses. We had a chat re all the stats and he seems happier now. He has now moved onto other things like Which is the busiest UK airport? Which is the busiest airport in the world? How many passengers per day, per year etc! Thanks goodnees for Google!

Hope that your heart tests go okay Bearsted Plodder.

Cheers Crimson - not expecting anything serious but you never know

Yes hope all goes well BP, let us know how it goes.

Will do - not great with needles so not looking forward to it

BP if it is an ECG and/or an echocardiogram there are no needles involved, the only thing you will feel will be the electrodes being pulled off your skin afterwards.

JF50 wrote (see)

BP if it is an ECG and/or an echocardiogram there are no needles involved, the only thing you will feel will be the electrodes being pulled off your skin afterwards.

Bearsted Plodder wrote (see)

JF50 - no already had that this is next stage. Actually back now and not happy!! Stupid Consultant forgot to put radioactive substance in me so after first part of test I sat there for 35 mins to be told could not go any further due to that error. So I had had a line put in which I hate for nothing. Not happy and now have to go back to have done again.

What a nightmare for you. I would be furious especially given your aversion to needles. When do you have to go back?

Crimson - there was a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine in January (Jan 12th issue - and available on-lineto non-subscribers if you want to look it up). Stated that of 10.9 million runners in the marathons and half-marathons they looked at, 59 had had cardiac arrests - that's 0.54 per 100000  -that is VERY RARE. Extrememly upsetting when it happens of course, but very unusual.

Needles. Don't tense your muscles when they stick one in. Anyway if you don't like needles, try having 'Venous Sampling' like I did.