Idman.biz
Former captain of the Russian national football team, Alexei Smertin, successfully completed the "Pole of Cold" race, considered one of the most extreme marathons in the world.
Idman.Biz reports that the temperature during the race held in the village of Oymyakon was below −40°C.
Smertin covered a distance of 50 kilometers in these difficult conditions and took first place in his age category.
Sports medicine specialist Shalva Tsurtsumia commented on Smertin's run, noting that running in such cold is an extremely difficult test for the body.
According to him, energy consumption increases sharply to maintain heat in such conditions, the lungs are overloaded, cold air can cause bronchospasm, and the cardiovascular system is under additional pressure due to the narrowing of peripheral vessels.
Smertin himself admitted that running in cold weather requires significantly more energy compared to ordinary marathons. According to him, if three energy gels were usually enough, this time he had to use five gels. He also faced an injury during the race - the football player suffered frostbite on one of his toes.
It should be noted that Smertin covered the 50 km distance in 4 hours and 45 minutes.
