[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-434959-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-434959-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","acute-impact-of-first-time-marathon-running-on-the-heart-in-middle-aged-men","Acute impact of first-time marathon running on the heart in middle-aged men","","Middle-aged men may be especially vulnerable to adverse cardiovascular effects from endurance exercise, yet acute cardiac consequences in novice first-time marathon runners have been insufficiently studied. This prospective study quantified cardiac changes in 17 men (41.2±4.5 years) at baseline, after 16 weeks of training, within 10 hours after the 2021 Amsterdam Marathon, and after 4 weeks’ recovery. Comprehensive 3T MRI, echocardiography, ECG, and hs-TnT and NT-proBNP assays showed transient biomarker elevations without myocardial injury.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/","Healthcare",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/acute-impact-of-first-time-marathon-running-on-the-heart-in-middle-aged-men/434959/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/acute-impact-of-first-time-marathon-running-on-the-heart-in-middle-aged-men/434959.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Dipper","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-09-29",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",9,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What was the study designed to investigate in first-time marathon runners?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The study assessed the acute impact of first-time marathon running and related training and recovery phases on cardiac structure and function, using imaging, ECG, and blood biomarkers.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Which measurements and time points were used to capture acute and recovery effects?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Participants were evaluated at baseline, after 16 weeks of training, within 10 hours after the marathon, and again after 4 weeks of recovery, with 3T MRI, echocardiography, ECG, and blood sampling for hs-TnT and NT-proBNP.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Did the marathon cause evidence of myocardial injury according to the results?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"No. Although hs-TnT and NT-proBNP increased markedly and hs-TnT exceeded the clinical upper reference limit for all participants, MRI (including myocardial mapping and late gadolinium enhancement), echocardiography, and ECG showed no signs of myocardial injury, and effects were transient.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},434959,1790762426,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,110,115,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":107,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":123,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},1374404997633,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd","Open access Cardiac risk factors and prevention  \n Acute impact of first-time marathon  \nrunning on the heart in middleaged men  \nInarota Laily,1,2 Niels van Steijn,1 Tom G H Wiggers,1,3 Martijn Froeling,4 R Nils Planken,5 Sjoerd M Verwijs,1 Ferdinand H de Haan,6 Ehsan Motazedi,7 Evert A L M Verhagen,8 Harald T Jørstad,1 Adrianus J Bakermans  5  \n► Additional supplemental material is published online only. To view, please visit the journal online ([https://doi.org/10.1136/](https://doi.org/10.1136/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.1136/)[openhrt-2025-003915](openhrt-2025-003915)) .  \nTo cite: Laily I, van Steijn N, Wiggers TGH, et al. Acute impact of first-time marathon running on the heart in middle-aged men. Open Heart 2025;12:e003915 . doi:10 . 1136/ openhrt-2025-003915  \nIL and NvS are joint first authors. HTJ and AJB are joint senior authors.  \nReceived 8 December 2025 Accepted 15 December 2025  \n© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.  \nFor numbered affiliations see end of article.  \nCorrespondence to  \nDr Harald T Jørstad; h.t. [jorstad@amsterdamumc.nl](jorstad@amsterdamumc.nl)  \nABSTRACT  \nBackground Middle-aged men seem to be particularly susceptible to adverse cardiovascular effects of endurance exercise. The acute impact of training, marathon finishing and recovery on the heart has not been extensively investigated in such at-risk novice marathon runners. Methods We prospectively quantified cardiac changes in middle-aged men (41 .2±4 .5 years; n=17) who participated in their first marathon run at four time points: at baseline, after 16 weeks of training, within 10 hours after completing the 2021 Amsterdam Marathon run and after 4 weeks of recovery. Measurements included comprehensive 3-Tesla MRI examination, echocardiography, ECG and blood sample assays of highsensitivity troponin-T (hs-TnT) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) .  \nResults Acute effects associated with finishing the marathon run were a \u003C10% reduction in left ventricular end-diastolic volume in absence of other morphological changes, and only minor changes in systolic contractile mechanics and diastolic filling patterns. Neither quantitative myocardial mapping with MRI nor late gadolinium enhancement revealed any signs of postmarathon myocardial injury. ECGs did not reveal any abnormalities. Circulating levels of hs-TnT and NT-proBNP had increased markedly after the marathon, with hsTnT exceeding the clinical upper reference limit for all participants. All observed marathon running-induced effects were transient.  \nConclusions Extensive phenotyping using state-of-theart quantitative imaging modalities paired with physical assessments and blood assays in this selected cohort offers no evidence to support the notion that first-time marathon running in healthy middle-aged men has a detrimental impact on the heart.  \nINTRODUCTION  \nBeneficial effects of physical exercise have been extensively studied, providing evidence for current recommendations on minimum amounts of physical exercise needed to maintain or improve health.1 However, there maybe upper limits to the amount and intensity of vigorous exercise that, if exceeded, could be detrimental to cardiovascular health.2  \nWHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC  \n\n| ⇒ High-intensity endurance exercise increases circulating levels of biomarkers that could signal myocardial injury. The acute impact of first-time marathon running on the heart of middle-aged men has not been extensively investigated.\u003Cbr>WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS |\n| --- |\n| ⇒ In middle-aged male novice marathon runners, modestly elevated levels of troponin-T and Nterminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were accompanied by transient subclinical alterations in systolic and diastolic function. No evidence of any myocardial injury was found with MRI, echocardiography or ECG.\u003Cbr>HOW THIS STUDY MIGHT AFFECT RESEARCH, PRACTICE OR POLICY |","cbCaivXUEb0RtwCn","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaivXUEb0RtwCn","pdf",2209728,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction\n# What is already known on this topic\n# What this study adds\n# How this study might affect research, practice or policy\n# Figure 1 Study outline","[{\"question\":\"What was the study designed to investigate in first-time marathon runners?\",\"answer\":\"The study assessed the acute impact of first-time marathon running and related training and recovery phases on cardiac structure and function, using imaging, ECG, and blood biomarkers.\"},{\"question\":\"Which measurements and time points were used to capture acute and recovery effects?\",\"answer\":\"Participants were evaluated at baseline, after 16 weeks of training, within 10 hours after the marathon, and again after 4 weeks of recovery, with 3T MRI, echocardiography, ECG, and blood sampling for hs-TnT and NT-proBNP.\"},{\"question\":\"Did the marathon cause evidence of myocardial injury according to the results?\",\"answer\":\"No. Although hs-TnT and NT-proBNP increased markedly and hs-TnT exceeded the clinical upper reference limit for all participants, MRI (including myocardial mapping and late gadolinium enhancement), echocardiography, and ECG showed no signs of myocardial injury, and effects were transient.\"}]","Acute impact of first-time marathon running on the heart in middle-aged men | PDF",1790671291,25]