Ultra runners face risk of kidney damage, finds study

May 22, 2024

And a recent study carried out in France and published in Physiological Reports reveals that ultra-trail runners face an elevated risk of acute kidney injury (AKI), particularly during the first half of a race.

The study, lead by Jean‐Charles Vauthier of the Département de Médecine Générale, Faculté de Médecine in Nancy, France, looked into the link between ultra trail running and acute kidney injury (AKI), also known as acute renal failure. Following endurance exercise, the kidneys may have trouble filtering the chemical waste product creatinine from the blood. This is bad, because increased creatinine levels in the blood can lead to AKI, which can lead to reduced urination, digestive disorders, fatigue, vomiting and headaches. It can even be fatal. Advnture