College of Education and Health Professions Research Team Studies Hydration at Boston Marathon

A research team from the College of Education and Health Professions, along with co-authors from several other institutions, recently published a study they conducted at the 2024 Boston Marathon examining the role of hydration in long-distance running.

The study, "Biomarkers of organ stress and injury following the Boston Marathon," evaluated marathon participants before and after the race to identify kidney and gastrointestinal stress biomarkers.

The research team included Cory Butts, Brendon McDermott, Zachary McKenna, Abigail Morris, Rose Perez, Shawn Wierick and Xiujing Zhao from the college's Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation at the University of Arkansas. Other researchers included Whitley Atkins, a U of A alumna who now teaches exercise science in the Department of Health, Exercise & Sports Sciences at the University of New Mexico; and Sarah Gustus, a research project manager within the cardiology department at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

"Our study is a reflection of the amount of stress the body experiences during a moderately fast marathon," said Brendon McDermott, who has taught athletic training and exercise science courses at the U of A for nearly 25 years. "We found that renal [kidney] stress persisted whether runners were hydrated or not. This lets runners know that hydration is protective, but only to a certain extent. Runners should focus on recovery strategies, knowing that their gastrointestinal system and renal system will be challenged following a marathon."

McDermott is a leading researcher in thermoregulation and serves as the director of the Heat and Hydration Optimization (H2O) Lab, which focuses on preventive measures and treatments for heat illness and hydration.

The research team's full study was added to the National Library of Medicine, an extensive biomedical library and a national resource for health professionals, scientists and the public. It was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology and was also featured in a popular health and nutrition newsletter, "Run Long, Run Healthy," published by Brady Holmer. The article is titled, "The Crazy Effect a Marathon Has on Your Body." McDermott said it's exciting to see people benefiting from his team's research.

"Having others read and show interest in our research brings the satisfaction that we need to continue answering scientific questions to help the population," he said.

McDermott said future lab studies will continue to answer physiological questions about distance running, and he acknowledged the College of Education and Health Professions for helping to make this type of research possible.

"The College of Education and Health Professions has helped by providing valuable research support behind the scenes on every level," he said. "The college has provided funds, administrative support and moral support behind all the research we do."