Health x Wellness
Too Much Running Can Lead To Early Death
Many people believe that some exercise is better than no exercise and some even take it to extremes when it comes to challenging the body.
However, according to a report by HealthDay, there is a diminishing return when it comes to running. A recent research conducted at the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the Lehigh Valley Health Network, in Pennsylvania showed that people who either did not run at all, or who did a lot of running had shorter lifespans than those who do a moderate amount of running.
They studied a group of 3,800 runners, both men and women, with an average age of 46. Within this group, nearly 70 percent of them ran more than 32 kilometres a week.
The researchers, led by Dr. Martin Matsumura found that the people who live the longest are those who do a moderate amount of exercise. The study factored in medication they are taking, current or previous medical history such as high cholesterol or blood pressure as well as lifestyle factors such as smoking. They found that these factors had no impact on the shorter lifespans shown by those people who ran more.
Dr. Matsumura told Health Day: “What we still don’t understand is defining the optimal dose of running for health and longevity.”
Moderation is this case, are the runners who run between two to three hours a week at a slow to moderate pace.
Dr James O’Keefe, who reviewed the research and is an advocate of moderate running, expressed an opinion that the findings are caused by “wear and tear” on the bodies of those who do a lot of running.
Dr. O’Keefe added: “If you want to run a marathon, run one and cross it off your bucket list.”
