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Serious Talk for Endurance AthletesDecember, 2006by David Meek, CBC President 2006Disclaimer: Please keep in mind when reading this article that I have no medical background. The non professional advice below is intended to be used as a warning to athletes. I have witnessed Blood Clot/Pulmonary Embolism trauma and the painful road of recovery of my Cousin Stephen Schumacher, a nationally ranked Triathlon athlete from Knoxville, Tennessee. As active cyclists, we benefit tremendously from the hours of dedication and training required to participate in our event of choice. Most bicycle races and events are considered endurance in length or duration. The health benefits of an active athletic lifestyle are undisputed and by far out weigh any of the negatives associated with high level endurance training. Most athletes would consider the downside of their efforts to be injury related, either from an accident or a result of overtraining or just plain premature wear and tear to our joints. But there is a dark side that every endurance athlete must be aware of. It does not matter what the sport is. It could be Cycling, Running, Adventure Racing, Multisport (Triathlon/Ironman) or any sport of epic duration that pushes the body to extreme exhaustion. This dark side is known as blood clots. In athletes, it most likely is of Deep Vain Thrombosis (DVT) type. Immediately after a long strenuous event even world class athletes are at high risk of blood clots. Blood coagulates, or goes through a drying process, at the site of an injury especially when exposed to oxygen. This is a natural life saving bodily function as our body seals off the bleeding vessels. Blood also will become thick when the body becomes dehydrated. This is one of the conditions endurance athletes battle during and after competition. DVT in athletes usually occurs in the legs. It is after the event is over when the body is immobile that the risk is greatest. After a grueling event, an athletes body functions take a nose dive, blood pressure drops and mobility is diminished. It is unpleasant and just plain painful to walk and keep body movement when you are exhausted, injured or your muscles are locked up. It is tissue movement and activity that aids in the return flow of blood to the lungs then heart. The last factor that contributes to DVT is the result of remaining in a seated position while immobilized and severely dehydrated. In a seated position, body weight pressure on the buttocks and back of legs combined with the gravity effect of having to pump blood up hill obstruct blood flow at the worst possible time. Now you have created the perfect storm, a deadly combination of conditions that create jelling of the blood deep in the veins of the legs or Deep Vain Thrombosis. Thick blood from dehydration, low blood pressure and immobilization especially in a seated position will start the snowball effect of jelling blood throughout the leg. This is serious stuff. If not immediately treated, a DVT can cause permanent damage to the effected limb. But worst yet is when a DVT breaks free and travels through the blood stream to your lungs, resulting in a Pulmonary Embolism and most likely death. If you experience leg or chest pain or swelling in any part of your legs, or if you feel an abnormal throbbing or pressure do not delay, go straight to the nearest Emergency Room and inform the doctor of your recent activity and tell them you are concerned about blood clots. You can reduce your risks of blood clots though education and awareness of these conditions. Keep hydrated or re-hydrate immediately after an event. Monitor your urine color and frequency until you are out of the danger zone (this could take a day of heavy fluid consumption). Keep legs moving, get up and walk, ride or whatever it takes to keep tissue active. Do not stay seated for prolonged periods of time. Did you know that most air travel blood clot victims are athletes. So, with this in mind, car travel back home from that big out of town event can be just as deadly. Stop the car and walk every 1/2 hour. Make an effort to move your legs and change seating positions while traveling. If you suffer an injury during an event or while being dehydrated, you are especially at high risk. Being aware of the risks of blood clots for the next couple of days until your body returns to a normal healthy condition should be a part of everyone's training and recovery routine.
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