A new study shows a potential link between extreme endurance exercise and increased risk of advanced colon cancer in younger adults, according to research at Inova Schar Cancer Institute, in Fairfax, Virginia.

Dr. Tim Cannon, a medical oncologist, told WTOP after examining several young endurance runners under the age of 40 who had advanced colon cancer, he hypothesized that prolonged stress on the gut during long-distance running may trigger cancer-causing mutations.

In the study of 100 adults between the ages of 35 and 50, who had run five or more marathons or two or more ultramarathons, Cannon found 15% of the participants had advanced adenomas, which are precancerous lesions, compared to the expected 1% to 2% in non-runners in this age range.

In addition, 41% had at least one aden

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