Too much exercise is bad for you!

[chumley]

Thru-hikers and other endurance athletes beware!

Fair-use excerpt:

Long periods of intense exercise can change the composition of your gut bacteria, a new study has found.
...
Most of us are aware that the bacteria in our gut play an important role in digestion. Furthermore, they are known to aid the production of certain vitamins - such as vitamins B and K - and play a key role in immune function.

But increasingly, research is emerging showing how poor gut health is linked to conditions ranging from irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, obesity, childhood asthma, to colitis and colon cancer.

The study is the first to investigate the response of gut microbiome - the term for the population of microbes in the intestine - during military training.
...
It provides a stark warning for endurance athletes and military personnel.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... lness.html

[azbackpackr]

Interesting, but I don't think most thru-hikers are quite in the class of endurance athletes, not compared to ultra-marathoners, for example, or some of these military training people they were talking about.

[flagscott]

Here's a simple and easy-to-remember rule for interpreting any scientific study on human health reported in the media: Unless it's a meta-analysis (a study that summarizes the results of lots of previous studies), ignore it. The study mentioned in the article might be true. Or it might not. We need a lot more evidence than 73 Norweigans to decide (unfortunately, the credulous media loves to report single studies as if they were true, and credulous bloggers love to breathlessly tout single studies on internet forums).

Interesting, but I don't think most thru-hikers are quite in the class of endurance athletes, not compared to ultra-marathoners, for example, or some of these military training people they were talking about.

Beg to differ. I'm not sure I could have run a 100-mile race after finishing any of my thru-hikes, but I'm pretty sure I could have run a marathon, and I've known thru-hikers who, despite never running while on the trail, ran marathons immediately after their hikes.

[SuperstitionGuy]

or some of these military training people they were talking about.

Yes and I can personally testify, definitely not the Air Force.

[chumley]

@azbackpackr
The study focused on men who skied 31 miles over four days. I think thru-hikers would probably have similar results. It's an interesting study. I'm going to change my whole life based on it!

[rcorfman]

The quote is, "long periods of intense exercise..."

Frankly, I don't consider most hiking as intense exercise. I don't know what the cited material considers intense exercise either.

I used to be an endurance athlete. I raced bicycles for years and usually did better in races that lasted over three hours (where better fitness made a difference). I never ever had any trouble eating as much as I wanted to. My gut worked fine and it still does. It actually works too good these days...

[fan3992]

everything too much is not good for you from my experience. like hiking over 30 something miles in a day, the end of day you are so tired and exhausted. probably is not good for you.

[RowdyandMe]

@fan3992
But you probably sleep well

[fan3992]

@Widowmaker
I sleep always well even the day I didn't hike.