Extreme exercise linked to blood poisoning

Dr Ricardo Costa

Dr Ricardo Costa from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics has led a study showing that extreme exercise can cause intestinal bacteria to leak into the bloodstream, leading to blood poisoning.

Experts at Monash University monitored people participating in a range of extreme endurance events, including 24-hour ultra-marathons and multi-stage ultra-marathons, run on consecutive days.

"Blood samples taken before and after the events, compared with a control group, proved that exercise over a prolonged period of time causes the gut wall to change, allowing the naturally present bacteria, known as endotoxins, in the gut to leak into the bloodstream. This then triggers a systemic inflammatory response from the body’s immune cells, similar to a serious infection episode.

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