Recent obstacle race experienced electrical shocks from 10,000 volt wires - PHOTO

If you want to make it to the finish line of a Tough Mudder obstacle race, you'll have to fight more than just exhaustion and dehydration - there's also the shock of 10,000 volts of electricity. Emergency room doctors conducted a case study of a Tough Mudder obstacle run in Philadelphia last June and found that of the 38 people admitted that weekend, about half suffered electrical injuries. The patients ranged in age from 18 to 46 years old, with 22 men and 16 women.'One of the patients, 18-years-old, experienced 13 shocks - he essentially had a heart attack, inflammation of the heart,' Dr Marna Rayl Greenberg, director of emergency medicine research at Lehigh Valley Hospital, told Today. Obstacle runs like the Tough Mudder have become popular in recent years, attracting a thrill-seeking crowd looking for a new accomplishment. Two of the obstacles involved in the Tough Mudder are the Electrical Eel and Electroshock Therapy which have participants running and crawling through fields of live wires up to 10,000 volts.At first, Dr Greenberg was confused about the nature of the injuries, since she didn't expect them in a race course. 'I have been practicing for over 20 years, and I have never seen an event that shocked people. It took me a while to understand what was happening to them,' Dr Greenberg said. Electrical injury expert Michael Morse says that the elements involved in the race only make the risk for shock worse since wet skin 'increases the risk of electrical injury dramatically'.But he doubts that the live wires are actually delivering 10,000 volts because 'that would kill people'.He hypothesizes that the volts could be caused by capacitive discharge or static shock. But one medical professional says you shouldn't let fear of electrical shock get in your way of competing in these races. 'It almost has that haunted house effect to it - it appears to be more dangerous than it really is,' said Dr Howard Mell, spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. 'There’s no question that the race is designed to create discomfort, and the idea of it is, "Hey, I can overcome this."'(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az