It is a generally accepted fact that running is good for you. Moreover, "to improve my health" is a reason often expressed by those who start this activity.
So much the better because a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine draws fairly favorable conclusions for the practice of running. However, one of the conclusions of the article is quite surprising.
One of the strengths of the article is that it draws its data from 6 prospective studies. A prospective study follows its subjects for a period of time (in this case, 5,5 to 35 years) to observe the changes occurring in them. This makes it possible to better observe whether there is a cause and effect link between a behavior and a result.
The results of the study show that, compared to people who do not run, runners have:
- 27% less chance of death from all causes
- 30% less chance of death from cardiovascular causes
- 23% less chance of dying from cancer
These results are very encouraging!
What dose of running is optimal for living longer?
A previous study, which had caused controversy in the field, had suggested that there might be a U-shaped link between the health impact of running and dose. The study found that there was no benefit for the risk of death from running more than 2,5 hours per week and that the risk of death increased at high doses. However, this increased risk was well below the risk for a sedentary person.
In this new study, the authors conclude that the amount, frequency and speed of running do not appear to have a significant impact on the death rate.
For our society, this is great news, because it means that with a small dose of running, we could significantly reduce the risk of death. This is very encouraging for people who have difficulty finding time to run. In the study, the minimum amount of time to obtain a protective effect was evaluated at about 50 minutes of running per week.
Why aren't there more benefits to running more?
First, there may be other benefits than reducing the risk of death. So don't be discouraged if you run a lot! Your physical condition will certainly be improved. Plus, spending time outdoors, being active, is great for your mental health.
As for the risk of death, perhaps it decreases with greater amounts of running, but so minimal that it is not observable in a study. The reverse could also be true. Either way, people who run regularly often do so for the sake of health, but also for other reasons, such as pleasure and personal fulfillment.
Your article leads me to ask you a question about the knees. I have been running for 10 years, summers only. I'm 51 years old and let's say we ask ourselves a few more questions over time 😀. So what about knee wear? This is my greatest fear… I sometimes have pain in my knees during the periods that I do not run, that is to say in winter. So I keep running but it looks like I'm on the brake a bit… thank you!
Hello,
In a moderate way, running does not wear down the knees, in fact, it could even be the other way around. If you want a full article on the subject, here's one: https://lacliniqueducoureur.com/coureurs/blogue/archives/douleur-au-genou-que-disent-les-experts/