Blood Clots and the Endurance Athlete

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Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

"""I am Steve Lehman, a 58-year-old, endurance athlete and I developed blood clots. As a World and National Champion and World Hour Record holding bicycle racer, I believed I was ""bomb-proof"". I’m not. In fact, I’m lucky to be alive. The same blood and vascular system that have helped me achieve these lofty goals are also prone to producing a deadly, silent killer, the blood clot.""

Blood Clots and the Endurance Athlete

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Particularly if you fly or drive long distances before and after events:

""About 85% of air travel thrombosis victims are athletic, usually endurance-type athletes like marathoners. People with slower resting blood flow are at greater risk of stasis, stagnant blood subject to clotting. Also, they are more likely to have bruises and sore muscles that can trigger clotting.

No other risk factor comes close to this. Age over 60 is supposed to be a risk factor, but these victims are younger, 82% of them under 60.

Athletes should flex their legs at fifteen minute intervals during air travel. If other risk factors are present, such as a personal or family history of clots, more frequent flexing would be advisable, and wearing compression stockings. Avoid sleeping. The English soccer team flying to the World Cup games in Japan broke the trip into two segments with a two-day rest stop and wore compression stockings during the flights.""

Airhealth

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Personal note: I've been on blood thinners from beginning of December, through till at least February, following discovery of a small clot under the left knee. Cause was ostensibly a post-surgical complication, but nonetheless a surprise because I was up and about within 48 hours. My cardio-fitness is not Mr. Lehman's but I have an otherwise excellent cardio/hematological profile and resting heart rate in the low 50's.

I know of at least one other rider who's off their bike till completion of a blood thinner regimen. Their cause is more directly attributable to competition and post-competition (driving/flying) activity.

The purpose of posting is make those at risk aware of the issue, watchful of the symptoms and to effect pre-emptive measures before, during and after events."

Anonymous's picture
at (not verified)
thanks (nm)
Anonymous's picture
Herb (not verified)

I had a friend who died because of this. Laurie was in her 40's.

Anonymous's picture
ap (not verified)

No its better to burn out than it is to fade away.. thanks

Arty

Anonymous's picture
arturo p-r-inSl-0w (not verified)
.

"No its better to burn out than it is to fade away
thanks

""Arty"""

Anonymous's picture
A-R-T-Y (not verified)
no its better to burn oout than it is to fade away (nm)
Anonymous's picture
Hypotonic Jittery Joe (not verified)
another solution

Get the Coke instead of Scotch when the beverage cart comes around and consume water like a fish. Book an aisle seat, too.

Anonymous's picture
Hank Schiffman (not verified)

No path is without its dangers. All roads end. Take the stated precautions and hope for the best. Better to burn out than rust.

Anonymous's picture
[email protected] (not verified)
Wise post. Great lyric.
Anonymous's picture
Norm Shleifer (not verified)

Blood vessals are prone to damage of the endothelial lining, the layer that separates the fluid in the vessal from the tubimg structure. Proper nutrition with appropriate supplementation is ESSENTIAL for any athletic endeavor because of the stresses and oxidative damage caused by these stresses. The readers of this message can find a lot of info about this at www.lef.org and also www.garynull.com. Lef searches worldwide medical research and publishes it as protocols for staying healthy into old age. Their website also has the abstracts. You should check their info with a physician who is knowledgeable in nutrition and supplementation.

Anonymous's picture
Ed (not verified)
Medical Info

Gary Null is a charlatan AIDS denialist who claims HIV does not cause AIDS. I would suggest going elsewhere if you are looking for reliable information, and not this supplement huckster.

Anonymous's picture
Somebody (not verified)
I second that!

Gary Null is to health as Sun Myung Moon is/was to something-or-other.

Anonymous's picture
Hank Schiffman (not verified)
Null & void!

Gary Null talks nutrition and hawks his line of vitamins.

I once saw him on a late night infomercial selling snake oil: shameless!

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