Abstract

The 1982 Aberdeen marathon race was held on a cool (12 degrees C) day on a flat, fast course. Fifty-nine of the 750 runners volunteered to take part in this study: rectal temperature of these competitors was measured within 5 min of completing the race. Venous blood samples were obtained before and immediately after the race; body weight of these subjects was also recorded before and after the race. During the race, 200 ml of fluid, either water or a glucose/electrolyte drink, was consumed at each of the seven feeding stations. The mean finishing time of the subjects was 2221 +/- 37 min (mean +/- SD, range = 144-307 min). Post-race rectal temperature was 38.3 +/- 0.9 degrees C with a range of values from 35.6 degrees to 39.8 degrees C. The net weight loss was 2.02 +/- 0.72 kg equivalent to 2.9 +/- 0.8 of body weight. The correlation between post-race rectal temperature and finishing time was not statistically significant; post-race rectal temperature was significantly correlated with the time taken to complete the second half of the race. No cases of heat illness were seen among the competitors. The results suggest that hypothermia rather than hyperthermia may be a problem for marathon runners competing under these conditions. Verf.-Referat