How a reporter’s body changed after 16 weeks of daily marathon training

Elissa Nadworny wanted to run the New York City Marathon. Her mother had a question: Is this bad for your body? So Nadworny, a reporter for NPR, booked a trip to Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where she got a DEXA scan, blood tests and a VO2 max treadmill test to find out.

Mom’s Skepticism

Nadworny signed up for the New York City Marathon in November, a distance of 26.2 miles. She has run four marathons before, saying after her fourth that it would be her last. But New York changed her mind.

When she told her mother, Jan Brydon, the news was met with skepticism.

“Another marathon? I’m not sure that’s so good for your body.”

Brydon worried about the pounding, the stress, the joints, and the sheer amount of time training takes. Nadworny couldn’t stop thinking about it. What does marathon training do to the body?

Trappe’s Case For Training

Scott Trappe runs the Human Performance Lab at Ball State and co-authored the book “Running: The Athlete Within.” He told Nadworny that marathon training is almost entirely positive.

“It’s going to improve cardiovascular health,” Trappe said. “It’s going to improve your blood volume, your red cell mass, your plasma volume. Your muscle health is going to improve. All these things gradually improve over the, you know, three months or whatever it is of training.”

Trappe acknowledged that overuse injuries can happen, but he pointed to research showing cartilage and bone improvements in knees during four months of training. The cartilage to the kneecap worsened immediately after the marathon, but a six-month follow-up MRI showed the damage reversed.

“So I think if done smartly, it’s a very healthy activity,” Trappe said.

The Testing Trip

To prove his point, Trappe invited Nadworny to visit his lab. Three months before the race, she flew to Indiana for her before testing.

The plan was simple: DEXA body scan, blood draw, and a VO2 max treadmill test. The DEXA measured bone density, joint inflammation and percent body fat. The VO2 test measured how much her body could take.

The treadmill session was brutal. Ten electrodes tracked her cardiovascular strength and heart rate. A breathing tube monitored her oxygen efficiency. Speed and incline kept climbing until she hit her limit.

Recovery Tools And Posture

While the Ball State team crunched her numbers, Nadworny dug into marathon training itself. She runs three times a week, peaking with a 20-mile run about three weeks before the race.

Tim Roberts, chief science officer at Therabody — maker of recovery tools including a massage gun and compression boots — focused on the basics.

“When you think of what it means to recover, your top three are always going to be nutrition, hydration and then sleep. Nothing really can outperform those three,” Roberts said.

Joe Norton, a physical therapist in D.C. with a focus on marathoners, filmed Nadworny on the treadmill to study her posture and mechanics.

“This really tells us a lot about your posture, your mechanics,” Norton said.

Trappe’s Answer To Nadworny’s Question

Nadworny’s mom asked a simple question. Trappe answered with a simple yes.

“Is training for a marathon good for your body, good for your age?” Nadworny asked. “Yes,” Trappe responded.

Trappe’s studies show cartilage and bone improved during training. The knee damage from the marathon reversed within six months.

Nadworny’s own results will come later.

The science presented by Trappe supports his position. Nadworny’s mom may still worry, but the findings are on the record.

Source material: “What does marathon training do to your body? A reporter becomes the test subject,” NPR.

athletics · health · Marathon · science · training