New research suggests first-time marathon runners will benefit greatly from Sunday’s London Marathon. As part of their training for their first marathon, people who ran several miles per week saw massive improvements in their blood pressure and arterial stiffness, according to a study funded by the British Heart Foundation.
A four-year reduction in “aortic” age was apparent among the runners. Aortas are the main arteries connecting your heart and body.
Age-related arterial stiffening occurs when people’s main arteries become more rigid. An artery’s flexibility is maintained by elastic fibres, which are replaced by harder fibres as elastic fibres decrease in number.
High blood pressure is closely associated with arterial stiffening. In addition, arterial stiffening increases the risk of strokes and other cardiovascular diseases. According to the study, marathon running reduces this process.
