title: Gastrointestinal bleeding in marathon runners.
abstract: Gastrointestinal bleeding has been proposed to be a contributing factor in the development of 'runner's anaemia'. To study the incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding, 2-3 prerace and 2-3 postrace faecal samples from 63 marathon runners were tested for the presence of blood. Five of the participants had faecal blood before but not after the race. A reasonable explanation for the bleeding was found for four. Eight runners (13%) had positive tests for faecal blood after the competition. Clinical investigation disclosed no gastrointestinal disease. Postrace haematuria was discovered in another 13% of the runners. None of the runners observed overt gastrointestinal bleeding or haematuria, nor did anyone develop anaemia. Gastrointestinal disturbances related to running were reported by 54%. It is concluded that gastrointestinal complaints and gastrointestinal bleeding are prevalent among marathon runners.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006400:Hematocrit; D006417:Hematuria; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance; D011507:Proteinuria; D012420:Running
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins