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Micah True autopsy information (Read 1869 times)

xor


     

    And if I die before SRL that will mean.....nothing. 

     

     

     

    I will be very sad. 

     

    bhearn


      I dunno how much research has been done regarding the whole idea that running on an empty stomach trains you to run better in a glycogen depleted state.  (I eat before I run.  I eat while I run.  I do the same thing at races.)

       

      I think the idea is generally that running glycogen depleted creates a training stimulus causing your muscles to be able to store more glycogen. But maybe it also help with fat metabolism, and certainly it helps train your mind to keep going when you're low on carbs. 

       

      I generally do anything up to about 18 with no fuel, and take Gatorade / Accelerade beyond that.

        Yeah, so I take back my second comment about dilated hearts.  The actual autopsy report said it best.   I still generally agree with Dopplebock, running all day every day at the age of 58, alone in the mountains , only with a bottle of water and a bag of corn was a recipe for disaster. 

         

        The way I read it was that he had cardiomyopathy of unknown origin.  This means he could have suffered from sudden cardiac death at any time not just while on a run.  The fact that he was was out running most of his days made it statistically more probable that he would suffer from his conditions while running rather than doing something else.  It sounds like a result of the genetic crapshoot to me rather than as a result of intense training, weird diet or some other reason.  At least he died while doing what he loved.


        Why is it sideways?

          *I am not a doctor.* But I have a bit of personal experience in this area. Smile

           

          The autopsy did not claim at all that True died from the changes in his heart due to running; in fact it specifically mentioned that he did not have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  It simply noted that he had enlargement of the heart with left ventricular prominence. This is what is known as "athletic heart." It is a *non-pathological* condition and it basically just means that you have a very big and strong heart. Again, it went out of its way to specifically note that he did NOT have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is the dangerous thing for runners.

           

          For what it's worth, I have been diagnosed with exactly this condition. I had an echocardiogram after having a fainting episode and an abnormal EKG. The echocardiogram showed a hypertrophied heart. The doctor explained to me that as long as the growth is symmetrical, this condition poses no dangers, and it simply means that I have a large and strong heart with a big stroke volume.

           

          It would be strange if True did not have this condition, given that he is an endurance athlete who runs a bunch.

           

          The autopsy notes only this athletic heart and then says that the "best determination" of his death is an "unspecified cardiomyopathy"--i.e. some irregularity in his heart that is NOT a function of his athletic heart. To my reading of this autopsy, the athletic nature of his heart is not presented as a reason for his death. 

           

          In jargon-free terms, this is basically the only positive thing the autopsy says about the reason for his death: "he probably died because his heart stopped due to unknown reasons."


          A Saucy Wench

             

             

            In jargon-free terms, this is basically the only positive thing the autopsy says about the reason for his death: "he probably died because his heart stopped due to unknown reasons."

             

             

            I can't remember exactly what was put down as cause of death when my dad died.  But I remember it was something along the lines of heart failure due to natural causes.

             

            He had lung cancer that had metastasized to his brain, diabetes, coronary artery disease, Alzheimers, and 3 or 4 other things.  But yeah. His heart did stop, I will give you that.   Because it would have been a little freaky if his heart hadn't and they still pronounced him. 

             

            The articles argument about the term natural is stupid.   Unless he is trying to suggest that True committed suicide by intentionally running himself to death.   Now that takes some determination.  Usually the food and cigarettes route works faster.

            I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

             

            "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7


            Why is it sideways?

              By "natural," I believe all is meant is that it was not a homocide or suicide.

               

              MTA: I just read the article, and Ennay is right: it is total crap. If you just read the autopsy, everything is quite clearly stated there in simple terms.

              Julia1971


                As a fit person with a lazy ticker (two leaky valves), I think this passage from the Runner's World story is the take away:

                 

                In the meantime, this is another reminder that, even though as a runner you may feel completely healthy, sometime even invincible, you should get regular health screenings--which will pick up things like cardiomyopathy--and seek immediate care if you think something may be acutely wrong. Otherwise, don't sweat it.

                 

                Don't assume because you're fit and/or thin that your heart is fine.  But, I do wonder, though, what the recommendation is for a person without a known heart problem.  I'm not sure I ever would have had that first EKG if my doctor hadn't heard my murmur all those years ago.  Although, she's always testing me for random stuff, so...

                Trent


                Good Bad & The Monkey

                  I can't remember exactly what was put down as cause of death when my dad died.  But I remember it was something along the lines of heart failure due to natural causes.

                   

                  That sounds like a death certificate.

                   

                  Micah True died with a big heart. But that does not mean he died because of the big heart.

                  TeaOlive


                  old woman w/hobby

                    steph  

                     

                     

                      All I know is that I feel like I have a better chance of developing heart disease without running than I do with it.

                      My sport's your sport's punishment

                       

                      2012 goals

                                    

                      100 Km month         150 K month      200K month

                      5K run    10K run     20K run              30K run

                      sub 30 min 5K         sub 55min 10K


                      A Saucy Wench

                        All I know is that I feel like I have a better chance of developing heart disease without running than I do with it.

                         

                        That is the thing.  If a 50 something man dies sedentary everyone thinks it is because he didnt workout and if someone dies while running they think it's because of the running. 

                        I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                         

                        "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

                           FWIW  Dr. Gangime / sockdoc is not an MD.    He is a chiropractor.

                           

                          Yeah, came here to say this. I emailed Alex Hutchinson (he does the RW Sweat Science blog) about possibly doing a post about this, and this was the gist of his reply:

                           

                          His analysis is ridiculous – e.g. “So since there was apparently no ischemia or other cause for True’s heart disease,
                          this could very well leave one to speculate that his condition, and death, was one which resulted from hypertrophic 
                          cardiomyopathy.” Of course, if you scroll down to the autopsy itself, it explicitly says “The appearance of the heart 
                          did not fit the criteria for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy...”


                          It’s tempting to write a blog post tearing this post to pieces – my main hesitation is that, frankly, I don’t even want to 
                          bring attention to stuff like this. That being said, this guy’s misguided rambling speculations aside, there is good
                          reason to wonder whether True’s ultramarathoning contributed to his heart problems. There have been a few recent
                          studies that have found scar tissue in the heart more frequently in lifelong extreme ultradistance athletes than in 
                          general controls. There has been nothing linking these findings to adverse effects (like death), but it’s impossible
                          to rule it out. Maybe it is worth a blog post...

                            having been diagnosed with an "athletic heart" as well, my family will rest better now knowing that was not Micah's cause of death.  I on the other hand never was worried. My first thought was, wonder how much longer of a life his running gave him

                            Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

                              Alex decided to do a blog post about this, and it's a good one:

                               

                              http://sweatscience.runnersworld.com/2012/05/did-running-cause-micah-trues-death/

                              LedLincoln


                              not bad for mile 25

                                 FWIW  Dr. Gangime / sockdoc is not an MD.    He is a chiropractor.

                                 

                                Ah, that makes some sense.  Sorry, but chiropractors as a profession are notoriously sloppy about their science.

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