Many people are at risk when participating in running races: Sports medicine doctor points out the shortcomings

Các vận động viên tham gia giải chạy Tay Ho Half Marathon 2024 - Ảnh: BTC — Athletes participating in the Tay Ho Half Marathon 2024 - Photo: Organizing Committee

At the Tay Ho Half Marathon 2024 on the morning of April 14, the male athlete born in 1990 suddenly collapsed on the running track, about 100m from the finish line due to cardiac arrest. This person was determined to have a history of high blood pressure for 4 years, regularly treated with Coversyl.

This is one of many cases of dangerous health incidents while participating in running races in recent times.

Positive trend but still many shortcomings

Sharing with Tuoi Tre Online , Dr. Phan Vuong Huy Dong - President of the Ho Chi Minh City Sports Medicine Association - said that running is a popular sport , in which 10km cross-country races, half marathons, marathons, and ultra marathons are frequently held recently.

Besides the positive aspects, there are still many disadvantages, leading to insecurity for participants.

Firstly, in the races, there are thousands of runners, of different ages and health conditions. The running track is large and the running time is 3-5 hours and sometimes there is a shortage of medical staff, making it difficult to control... The risks increase and the risk handling for the participants is also more limited.

Second, any sport is good for the health of the practitioner, when practiced correctly and suitable for the physical condition.

As for running, it has a high community impact and transmits positive energy, so it attracts many participants.

Most people join the trend and feel encouraged and excited, so they try their best to run, "surpassing themselves" without knowing the risks to their health. Especially young people, often face more risks when subjectively thinking that they are still young and healthy.

This is also extremely dangerous for people with underlying medical conditions such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, etc. With long running distances, the risks are very high, such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, leading to acute shortness of breath, asthma attacks, even heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrest.

Third, with a tropical climate like ours, hot weather during the day can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, heatstroke; leading to the risk of low blood pressure, fainting, acute kidney failure for participants if water and electrolytes are not replenished properly and promptly.

Not only that, there are also competitions taking place at night and early morning. This is the time when the body is normally resting and sleeping, but running competitions disrupt the biological clock, also posing many risks and safety on the track.

“Due to the high positivity and spread of the event with many participants, it is difficult for the organizers to control all the health conditions of the participants.

The crowd effect creates a lot of excitement in the community and everyone wants to "surpass themselves", which can lead to certain risks, especially on long runs where medical facilities are not fully available," Dr. Huy Dong shared.

Classify races, organize closely, and care about participants

Given the certain risks to the health of participants, according to Dr. Huy Dong, races should be classified and organized more strictly. There should be a full medical team distributed across many routes and suitable for the number of runners.

At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention and educate practitioners about their health limits and dangerous signs so that they can stop participating in time.

For people with underlying medical conditions (especially cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, musculoskeletal disease, etc.), they should see a specialist and follow the recommendations before participating in the tournament.

“Sports, especially grassroots competitions, will bring positive energy to the community. However, there are certain risks for participants and can affect the sustainability and reputation of the race.

"Organizing the movement must ensure safety for those practicing and competing, through supervision and control of the competition route for each individual," emphasized Dr. Huy Dong.

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