Research indicates participation in endurance sports can become harmful to the body and mind.

Although moderate exercise is good, too much can lead to damage, overtraining and exercise addiction, said Paddy Ekkekakis, associate professor in health and human performance and researcher in exercise habits. Ekkekakis defines endurance events as anything more than 10,000 meters.

“Every study that I have seen indicates that it’s not healthy,” Ekkekakis said.

Lars Brudvig, graduate student in natural resource ecology management, wears out three pairs of running shoes a year.

He and Heather Newhouse, senior in biochemistry, are self-coached and train more than 20 hours per week to be successful in some of the longer endurance sports. These events include marathons and the Ironman Distance Triathlon, which features an entire marathon as its final leg.

“If you’ve done the training, your body can do it,” Brudvig said. “Training builds confidence.”

Newhouse parallels this sentiment.

“It’s good because it’s hard,” Newhouse said. “It’s a tough mental race. That’s what makes it gratifying.”

Ekkekakis, however, has heard statements like this before.

“What I hear most often from endurance athletes is ‘it hurts so good,'” Ekkekakis said. “Somehow, cognitively, they interpret pain as being good.”

During the Ironman Wisconsin this year, Newhouse was racing on an injured knee in addition to being stricken with a cold.

“I was more tired than I’ve ever been in my life,” she said. “You have to have confidence to get you through it.”

Newhouse works for the health and human performance lab and is currently studying overtraining for an honors project. Every day she takes samples of her own saliva and stores them in her freezer. The samples are then measured for cortisol, which is an indicator for stress.

“My roommates love that,” she said.

There are also markers in the body that tell researchers about the health of cells. Research done after endurance events show that all of the major functions in the body are under stress, including the immune, cardiovascular and skeletal systems, Ekkekakis said.

“Infections have a field day,” Ekkekakis said. “It should not be a prescription for the masses.”

ISU Police Sergeant Justin Gatewood, co-adviser to the ISU Triathlon Club, also participates in triathlons.

“Not all cops are overweight donut eaters,” Gatewood said. “You don’t look at the training as something you have to do. It changes my whole mood. I feel better for the rest of the day.”

Exercise addiction, as with any other addiction, can have serious effects on other parts of life.

As co-adviser to the ISU Triathlon Club, ISU police officer Alex Syhlman knows anything to an extreme is not recommended.

“I haven’t experienced any bad effects from triathlon,” Syhlman said. “I’ve always felt it made me healthier.”

Andrew Moser, strength and conditioning coach for ISU Olympic sports, said the occurrence of overtraining among ISU track endurance athletes is nonexistent.

“The big thing that we stress is making sure that they know their limitations,” Moser said. “The training staff and coaches do a good job of keeping track of the signs and symptoms associated with overtraining.”