Year: 2006
Type: editorial
Abstract: fforts to evaluate the risks and benefits of exercise, especially prolonged endurance exercise, are almost as old as scientific medicine itself.Hippocrates, the father of scientific medicine, included a chapter on athletic training in his book Regimens in Health and suggested that exercise should be moderate and only part of a healthy lifestyle.1 Hippocrates was a near contemporary of Pheideppides, an Athenian who, in 490 BC, reportedly died after running 40 km (24 miles) from Marathon to Athens to announce the Athenians' victory.Unfortunately, this oftenquoted story is probably only partly true.The runner was unlikely to have been named Pheidippides.The distance was likely much greater and probably extended from Athens to Sparta to recruit more soldiers, back to Athens to announce that the Spartans were not coming, and, finally, from Athens to Marathon and back-a total distance of approximately 500 km. 1 Furthermore, the exhausted runner probably did not die, because his death is not noted by Herodotus, the major historian of the event.There is an element of truth to the legend, however, because 50 years later, Eucles did die after running to Athens, 1 providing at least some support for the dangers of prolonged exertion.
Source: Circulation
Authors: Paul D. Thompson, Fred S. Apple, Alan Wu
Language: Hungarian
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2079990644