Overview
- Published in Blood Red Cells & Iron, the study analyzed blood from 23 athletes before and after a 25-mile Martigny–Combes à Chamonix race and the 106-mile Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.
- Runners showed reduced red blood cell flexibility and molecular signatures of accelerated aging that can impair oxygen delivery.
- Damage appeared by roughly 25 miles and was amplified after 106 miles, indicating a dose–response relationship with distance.
- Findings point to combined drivers: mechanical stress from fluid pressures and molecular injury linked to inflammation and oxidative processes.
- Authors highlight a small, non-diverse sample and only two sampling timepoints, call for larger longitudinal studies, and note potential applications for athlete guidance and blood storage science.