Advertisement

CommonHealth: Fitness Endures For Weeks After A Marathon

07:57
Download Audio
Resume
Meb Keflezighi, of San Diego, center, breaks from the start with Galen Rupp, as they lead the men's elite runners at the starting line. (Mary Schwalm/AP)
Meb Keflezighi, of San Diego, center, breaks from the start with Galen Rupp, as they lead the men's elite runners at the starting line. (Mary Schwalm/AP)

Many runners worry that taking significant time off after a marathon will cause them to lose the fitness gains they made preparing for the big race.

But, a study from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that the fitness gains made while preparing for a marathon can last for weeks, even if athletes work out significantly less.

"Rest it is vital," said Dr. Aaron Baggish, the study’s lead author and the director of the cardiovascular performance program at MGH. "All of our measurements would suggest that rest is not counterproductive that if anything, it's productive."

Guest

Carey Goldberg, host of WBUR's CommonHealth blog, which tweets @commonhealth.

This segment aired on April 17, 2017.

Related:

Advertisement

More from Radio Boston

Listen Live
Close