Dean Karnazes: The Forever Runner

Article Summary: Dean Karnazes can run three days and three nights. He claims that at times, he has even sleep run. He has run marathons in the South Pole,  50 marathons in 50 days, and the Marathon Des Sables. Where other people reach a level where they're muscles burn and cramp, Karnazes has never felt these symptoms. In fact, he claims that at times, he feels like he could run forever. While preparing for the 50 marathons in 50 days, he was sent to a testing center in Colorado. There they tested his cardiovascular system and his lactate threshold. They found that his cardiovascular system was comparable to other ultra-runners. However, his lactate threshold was unlike any they had ever seen. While the test usually lasts only fifteen minutes, they ended his test after an hour. The article explains, "when running, you break down glucose for energy, producing lactate as a byproduct and an additional source of fuel that can be converted back into energy. However, when you exceed your lactate threshold, your body is no longer able to convert the lactate as rapidly as it is being produced, leading to a buildup of acidity in the muscles." When other people reach this level, it is away of their body telling them to stop, but Dean Karnazes never receives this signal. Therefore he is capable of running 100 miles without his muscles seizing up. While cardiovascular improvements can come from training, the lactate threshold is largely due to genetics. The article explains, " your body clears lactate from the blood via a series of chemical reactions driven by the mitochondria in your muscle cells. These reactions transform lactate back to glucose again and they are enhanced by specific enzymes. The clearance process also works more efficiently if your mitochondria have a larger capacity, increasing their ability to use lactate as a fuel.

Correlation: This relates to our class because it is his biology that causes him to be able to seemingly run forever. He has attracted fame and attention due to his ability. Therefore the article is news worthy and science centered. The article clearly illustrates that genetics play a huge role in his forever runs.

Personal Reflection: As I wrote earlier, I am an avid runner, definitely not a 100 mile runner, but a runner nonetheless. The concept of someone running over 100 miles blows my mind. I cannot imagine running so easily and for so long, that I fall asleep while doing so. I wish that I had a mitochondria that was as capable as Dean Karnazes'. The article poses a question at the end about Karnazes' brother. It asks if his brother is as athletic and has a similar endurance. Karnazes states that his brother does play volleyball but he is not a runner, so there is no way of knowing. However, I would be interested to see if his brother attained similar results on the test that Karnazes took in Colorado. Overall this article was incredibly interesting, and makes me want to do more research to see if other people around the world have this same ability due to their genetics.



http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-running-blog/2013/aug/30/dean-karnazes-man-run-forever