"Overall, the burden superhuman".

64 stages, 4500 km - the Trans-Europe Run: The doctors accompanying the runners Uwe Schütz speaks in an interview with the Achilles team about the extreme physical stress, adequate drinking behavior and rotating the heart. Moreover, he explains why a day of rest would be unfavorable.

 

Question: Mr. Schütz, you will accompany the
Trans-Europe run with a 40-ton mobile research laboratory. Why is this event so interesting for you as a physician?

Schütz: The runners have no rest day and so little regeneration during the approximately
4500 kilometers long route. We are interested in how long the body compensates for the extreme stress and when and why it is no longer possible. For us researchers it is a unique opportunity. It is also exciting that the runners problems.

Peter Bartel / Achim-Achilles.de
Trans-Europe runners in Italy: burden in the border area

Question: How do you mean?

Schütz: We analyze cartilage, make whole body fat measurements, examine the shift in body water and scan the heart with magnetic resonance tomography. There is a theory that the heart is under extreme physical effort around its own axis rotates. That has not yet been studied.

Question: Why could rotate as the heart?

Schütz: Possible causes of this might be the change of heart muscle and fat distribution in the area of his heart. What are the consequences of the change in body position could have, we know not yet.

Question: How many runners take part in your studies?

Schütz: Of the 68 runners taking part started 44th Each day we scan eight to eleven runners. We take morning and evening urine samples, they are centrifuged and freeze them. With the blood we all make the same 1000 kilometers. From August, we evaluate the samples from then. What comes out, I can not say. Just this: In the end, we have 18 liters of urine collected. This can make you very much.

Question: Have you already acquired?

Schütz: despite inflammation in the
Achilles tendon to the bone or skin, in normal circumstances where the doctor prescribed four weeks rest, run the Trans-Europe runners on. Previously, only eight runners up, because it simply because of the pain was no more.

TRANS-EUROPE PROJECT

The Trans-Europe Run (April 19-June 21) runs from south to North Cape. 68 runners from twelve countries have opted for the 4500 kilometers long race pending. Always is Uwe Schütz. The doctor of the University Hospital of Ulm support as project leader of the science teams of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to the Trans-Europe run.

UK Ulm

Question: Of the remaining runners who run with pain or injury?

Schütz: All. They have so much motivation and bite that they simply endure the pain. Now is the moment at which the weight loss of the runners have to deal with.

Question: How many pounds have athletes running down?

Schütz: Some runners have three to four percent of their body weight lost. That's not much, but if the trend stays runners get these problems. The fact is: The runners are the weight loss can not offset, even though they try every night, to eat as much as possible. Since the runners are naturally better off, the remaining reserves. A Trans-Europe runners need every day from 6000 to 8000 kilocalories record. In a 80-kilometer stage even more.

Question: What about the drink?

Schütz: Many drink too little or access to cola and beer. Beer contains many nutrients, but alcohol is not good. That you realize that here are individualists. But there are a lot of runners with an adequate drinking behavior, because it is in the endurance area is urgently needed.

Question: Is the Trans-Europe race healthy or harmful?

FRIENDSHIP WITH ACHIM

Heinrich Völkel / Ostkreuz

Germany's cult runner is now in one of the largest communities on the web: Visit Achim on Facebook, will be his fan and never miss his columns or more readings. On Twitter you can also live, so what else is driving Achim: sweating or Training tails?

Schütz: There is no Gesundheitssport operated. The charges are in the border area, because it is about achieving a goal is high. The athletes take the risks in buying. The are manageable. But there are also some who are somewhat übermotiviert. Others are very rational and know exactly what they are doing.

Question: What do you believe how many runners on 21 North june to arrive?

Schütz: I estimate 60 to 65 percent.

Question: To what extent can physical pain from mental strength to offset?

Schütz: This is individual. One of the runners has multiple sclerosis: He learned to live with pain. Although we can diagnose physical detail, but it says nothing about whether a runner or mental problems durchhält gets. If everything works physically, it is ultimately a matter for the head, who arrives and who is not.

Question: Since they're sure a lot of endorphins in the game. Had the body's own pain without pain inhibitor überhaupt bearable?

Schütz: There are different areas of experience while running. The one describe a kind of trance feeling, among others running the race from a purely rational. As these efforts happen every day, remains of endorphin effect process is not much left. With our blood and urine analyzes test we also run after the endorphin content.

ACHILLES-NEW BOOK

Finally, it is so far: Germany's runners have the perfect excuse for the tedious pace of training to tails. You must first of Achilles-the new book. Germany's funniest amateur runners has its columns to a new piece of forest and meadow run literature zusammengetackert: "Learn to walk without suffering" is available now in a good assortment of ramps and remains in blogs shop. The question "Can you actually run without having to suffer?" Achim normally answered philosophically: "You can, but it is not fun anymore." The 224 pages in the pocketbook is strong Heyne-Verlag and costs 7,95 Euro.

Question: Examine the runners on doping?

Schütz: That is not focus of our study and also not foreseen. If we wanted to do but, we also have the necessary material for it.

Question: Are any runners on illicit substances tested?

Schütz: It is clear that doping leads to disqualification. But a special control does not exist.

Question: Can you imagine that the Trans-Europe runners dope?

Schütz:
(long pause) I can and wants to say nothing, because I have no information.

Question: But you see as a physician but the performance differences.

Schütz: That I can not but conclude that the A nachhilft and the other is not. That is not my job.

Question: The Trans-Europe race covers more than 64 stages. Is it wise, without a day off the runners to the North Cape to hunt?

Schütz: If there were breaks, the runners had problems with sore muscles. As such, it is better to run it daily. Overall, the burden superhuman. The performance curve shows a continuous downward course.

The questions presented Bahador Saberi

Achim-Achilles.de reported daily by the
Extreme Racing Trans-Europe run