Running a marathon may cause kidney injury, reveals research

AKI is a condition in which the kidneys fail to filter waste from the blood. The researchers stated that potential causes of the marathon-related kidney damage could be the sustained rise in core body temperature, dehydration or decreased blood flow to the kidneys that occurs during a marathon. 

“The kidney responds to the physical stress of marathon running as if it’s injured, in a way that’s similar to what happens in hospitalised patients when the kidney is affected by medical and surgical complications,” said Chirag Parikh, Professor at Yale University in Connecticut, US. 

Although kidneys of the examined runners fully recovered within two days post-marathon, the study raises questions about potential long-term impacts of this strenuous activity at a time when marathons are increasing in popularity, the researchers said in the paper published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. Previous studies have shown there are also changes in heart function associated with marathon running.