Top Distance Runner Dies

[Tom Yum]

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/new...v=ap&type=lgns

A competitive marathon runner collapsed 5 miles into a marathon. He was pronounced dead shortly after he was rushed to a local hospital. Stories like this become more and more frequent; I remember hearing other endurance athletes dieing, but this happens with explosive athletes too (football players, powerlifters players etc.).

Statistics pulled from different studies suggest that the ratio of deaths per runner are 1/7620 runners per year. Another study suggests its 1/50,000 runners per year. Such a slim chance suggests that the problem lies in the heart's condition itself rather than the training since regular excercise decreases the risk of getting heart disease but apparently those who already have heart disease suffer a greater risk of an attack during extreme training.

Some of these problems are completely random and happen due to enlarged heart muscles requiring too much oxygen or non-blockage occurences.

I completed a 13 mile run last year and have done run-swim-run or swim-run-swim-run routines this year and haven't felt anything unordinary but I'd like to get some information on diet/nutrition specifically for maintaining the endurance athlete's heart since this can happen to healthy, normal individuals.

Anyone here a dietician?