Verdeliss’s wild feat generates medical alert among experts

Verdeliss (39 years) The feat that began last Thursday at Antarctica and will end in Miami will complete today. Seven marathons in seven days distributed by the seven continents. And with the addition of having won them all (in the South Pole she was the first woman and the fourth of the general). The Spanish one, whose real name is Estefanía Unzu Ripoll, He leads the World Marathon Challenge, after investing 3:38:53 in the first test and winning in Cape Town (3:10:14), in Australia (3:10:30), in Dubai (3:09:46) , in Madrid (3:11:30) and yesterday in Fortaleza (3: 12.20). Yesterday he added a new notch to his record collection by winning in Brazil alone 17 hours later to do the same in Madrid, in the Jarama. Verdeliss put on the early morning shoes, overcoming the jet-lag and the change of weather (he ran under 28 degrees Celsius). “I can’t anymore,” he confessed as soon as he cross the goal. Today he aspires to crown his deed in the United States after overcoming the stomach problems he suffered in Asia or the muscle aches caused by the layout in Spain.

The solidarity challenge of Verdeliss (he is raising funds for a six -year -old named Claudia, who suffers from the Menke-Hennekam syndromea malformation of the lymphatic system) has generated many comments of admiration but some critical voices about the risk it assumes at the health level.

“Running seven marathons generates physical stress, muscle overload, cardiovascular stress, nerve stress because it is altering the sympathetic system and parasympathetic, hormonal and metabolic mismatch, sleep disorder and circadian rhythms …”, explains the Doctor José Francisco TorneroHealth Director at Abdul Latif Jameel (Monaco), which is overwhelming: “It is not worth the risk.” «You have to raise awareness of the reader who These challenges are extremely dangerous to health And that these athletes who face these challenges are usually supported by a team behind, ”adds the doctor of biomedical and health sciences, which details:« You need a team of psychologists, also a team of nutritionists who plan food And hydration inside and outside the race, and another that organizes you what to do during the trip, recovery, that you design physical preparation … ».

Dr. Tornero insists on physical problems: «Prolonged effort leads you to very significant muscle fatigue, you will have an accumulation of metabolites, which are highly harmful to the organism and indicative of muscle damage. They occur Small muscles injuries That they accumulate by running these seven days in a row and that increases the risk of muscle overload, tear, of joint injuries that are added. All this is at risk of a very important chronic injury ». And an even greater risk: «The heart suffers a lot And it is not the same to repair a muscle as a myocardium. It can increase the risk of arrhythmias. Troponin is altered, a heart protein that is released when the heart is annoyed ».

The theory of Dr. Tornero is also shared by several marathon, who suffer in their meats the rigors of the long distance. Manel Roquer He is a well -known long distance corridor in Catalonia, has played countless marathons and now, at 68, he trains several athletes. The former prosecutor prosecutes the challenge of Verdels: «It is a mistake. The human body is not accustomed to these bestialities. You have to leave half a year between one marathon and another. That would be the ideal, but now this type of follies has become fashionable ». Roquer goes further: «All this has a lot of postureo … Verdeliss will do it, but it will be two months made a piltrafa. You can have a physical and psychological downturn, something similar to postpartum depression. The body will pass in the long term invoice ».

The recovery, key

However, there are also prestigious experts that remain important to the physical consequences of such an extreme challenge. Paco Seirul·loa reference in physical preparation that he exercised for 46 years in FC Barcelona, ​​contributes his ideas: «It is very hard, but there is time to recover. Those who train marathon are prepared. The plane? If it is lying on a bed, resting, doing the recovery exercises, moisturizing, massages … it is not easy, but being trained is feasible. Another thing is to run a marathon going to look for a brand ». The professor puts a graphic example: «People who work in a mine eight hours picing with a peak and breathing low oxygen and the next day again … it is a tremendous effort, but If you are accustomed, it is still normal».

Albert Casas It is the physical trainer who managed to make Álex Roca, with cerebral palsy and a 76% physical disability, completed the Barcelona marathon and that of Paris: «Energy, metabolic and and physically is viable but viable but The less rest margin, it is easier to reach the collapse and this translates into the form of injury. It is an activity, look where you look, extreme, but the person will have already tested in training if prepared to assimilate it ».

Albert Navarro It has run 34 marathons or 6 majors. He knows what he speaks when he ensures that this type of challenges “affects physically.” «A doctor would tell you not to do itbut has a counterpart at the level of overcoming and sports objectives ».