(NewsNation) — A 26.2-mile run can do some damage to the brain, according to a recent study, but the impact is temporary and reversible.
A group of researchers studied how marathon running impacts the brain by conducting MRIs on 10 runners within two days of a run.
In a study published in the Nature Metabolism Journal on March 24, scientists observed eight men and two women and found their myelin levels “diminished by severe exercise.”
Myelin is an insulating layer around nerve fibers, primarily consisting of fats and protein.
“Myelin content … is substantially reduced upon marathon running in specific brain regions involved in motor coordination and sensory and emotional integration, but recovers within two months,” the study found.
The body may turn to fat reserves, such as myelin in the brain, as an energy source after other sources, like glucose from broken-down carbohydrates, are depleted.
The study is consistent with previous research.