Research

Mixed

Marathon running induces significant, transient cardiac stress markers (Hs-TnT, ST2, NT-proBNP) in both men and women, with values returning to baseline within 48 hours, indicating that acute cardiac damage is a normal physiological response to extreme endurance efforts rather than necessarily pathological.

Do not panic if your cardiac biomarkers (like troponin) are elevated immediately after a marathon. This is a common, transient physiological response to extreme exertion. In healthy individuals, these levels typically return to baseline within 48 hours. Persistent symptoms or failure of markers to normalize should be evaluated by a physician.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Cardiac markers (high sensitivity troponin T (Hs-TnT), suppression of tumorigenicity and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide) increased post-race and returned to pre-race values after 48 h in men and women.
Alejandro Martínez‐Rodríguez et al. · American Journal of Human Biology · 2023

Why this rating

Robust biomarker measurements but small sample size.

Source

Effect of diet on cardiovascular health‐related circulating parameters in men and women athletes participating in a marathon race: A cross‐sectional study

Alejandro Martínez‐Rodríguez et al. · American Journal of Human Biology · 2023

DOI 10.1002/ajhb.23884

cross_sectional · n=30
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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