In this blog I espouse the benefits of an active lifestyle, and of running in particular. As I near 50 marathons in less than 20 years, I suppose that is "extreme" by most normal standards.
The benefits of moderate exercise are widely accepted. The effects of extreme exercise are more controversial. Most ultra-endurance athletes look like they are in great shape, and in fact, most probably are. There is a sobering body of scientific work emerging, however, which cautions that extreme exercise may not be beneficial and may actually be harmful.
The definition of extreme exercise is elusive, but in this example the authors studied a group of athletes who had run at least one full marathon each year for 25 years. Although many of their physiologic parameters were good, in many respects their risk of cardiovascular events was no different than their sedentary counterparts.
As with most things, moderation is probably best.
http://journalstar.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/walk-away-from-excess-running-researchers-say/article_a846f9cd-2684-50b1-b217-2d7d71d01ffd.html
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