Too Much Running May Shorten Your Life

Abuja - Running regularly has long been linked
to a host of health benefits, including weight
control, stress reduction, better blood pressure
and cholesterol.
However, recent research suggests there may
be a point of diminishing returns.
A number of studies have suggested that a
"moderate" running regimen – a total of two to
three hours per week, according to one expert –
appears best for longevity, refuting the typical
"more is better" mantra for physical activity.
The researchers behind the newest study on the
issue say people who get either no exercise or
high-mileage runners both tend to have shorter
lifespans than moderate runners. But the
reasons why remain unclear, they added.
Longevity differences
The new study seems to rule out cardiac risk or
the use of certain medications as factors.
"Our study didn't find any differences that could
explain these longevity differences," said Dr
Martin Matsumura, co-director of the
Cardiovascular Research Institute at the Lehigh
Valley Health Network in Allentown,
Pennsylvania.
Matsumura presented the findings at the
American College of Cardiology's annual
meeting in Washington, DC Studies presented at
medical meetings are typically viewed as
preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed
journal.
Matsumura and his colleagues evaluated data
from more than 3 800 men and women runners,
average age 46. They were involved in the
Masters Running Study, a web-based study of
training and health information on runners aged
35 and above. Nearly 70% reported running
more than 20 miles a week.
The runners supplied information on their use of
common painkillers called NSAIDs (nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory medications such as
ibuprofen and naproxen/Aleve), which have
been linked with heart problems, as well as
aspirin, known to be heart-protective. The
runners also reported on known heart risk
factors such as high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, diabetes, family history of heart
disease and smoking history.
Use of NSAIDs
None of these factors explained the shorter lives
of high-mileage runners, the researchers said.
Use of NSAIDs was actually more common in
runners who ran less than 20 miles weekly,
Matsumura's team noted. "The study negates
the theory that excessive use of NSAIDs may be
causing this loss of longevity among high-
mileage runners," Matsumura said.
So what's the advice to fitness-oriented
people?
"I certainly don't tell patients 'Don't run',"
Matsumura said. But, he does tell high-mileage
runners to stay informed about new research
into the mileage-lifespan link as more becomes
known.
"What we still don't understand is defining the
optimal dose of running for health and
longevity," he said.
Even though the heart disease risk factors
couldn't explain the shorter longevity of high-
mileage runners, there do seem to be
potentially life-shortening ill effects from that
amount of running, said Dr James O'Keefe,
director of preventive cardiology at the Mid-
American Heart Institute in Kansas City.
Wear and tear
O'Keefe, who reviewed the findings, believes
there may simply be "too much wear and tear"
on the bodies of high-mileage runners. He has
researched the issue and is an advocate of
moderate running for the best health benefits.
Chronic extreme exercise, O'Keefe said, may
induce a "remodelling" of the heart, and that
could undermine some of the benefits that
moderate activity provides.
In O'Keefe's view, the "sweet spot" for jogging
for health benefits is a slow to moderate pace,
about two or three times per week, for a total of
one to 2.5 hours.
"If you want to run a marathon," he said, "run
one and cross it off your bucket list." But as a
general rule, O'Keefe advises runners to avoid
strenuous exercise for more than an hour at a
time.
- Health24
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