When I began running in college, a friend of mine scoffed at the concept. He hated running and believed that runners were going to “tear” their joints. He liked to say that he was saving his knees for old age.
So, was he on to something? Does running really damage your joints, as many individuals consider?
Runners can get arthritis, but is running the cause?
You might think the reply is clear. Sure, years of running (pounding pavement, and even softer surfaces) can wear out your joints, just as tires wear out after putting enough miles on them. And osteoarthritis, probably the most common style of arthritis, often affects older adults. In fact, it is usually described as age-related and degenerative. It appears like a broken situation, right?
possibly not. Sure, it's easy guilty running when someone who runs recurrently develops arthritis. But this charge could also be misguided. Here are the inquiries to ask:
- Does running damage joints and cause joint pain?
- Does arthritis develop earlier and turn into more noticeable when running?
- Is the connection more complicated? For most individuals, there may be probably no connection between running and arthritis. But possibly those that are lucky enough to have arthritis (due to their genes, for instance) get it sooner in the event that they start running.
Extensive research over the past several many years has investigated these questions. While the answers aren't entirely clear yet, we're getting closer.
What is the connection between running and arthritis?
Growing evidence suggests that running. no Causes osteoarthritis, or some other joint disease.
These are only a number of of the published clinical studies on this topic. Overall, the research suggests that running is an unlikely reason behind arthritis — and will even be protective.
Why is running and arthritis so difficult to check?
- Osteoarthritis takes a few years to develop. Convincing research would require a protracted time, perhaps a decade or more.
- It is unimaginable to make a great study. The strongest style of research study is a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Participants in these studies are assigned to a treatment group (perhaps receiving a brand new drug) or a control group (often receiving a placebo). Double-blind signifies that neither the researchers nor the participants know which persons are within the treatment group and which persons are getting the placebo. When a treatment is being studied, there is no such thing as a approach to conduct such a trial.
- Beware of confounders. A confounder is an element or variable that you just cannot account for in a study. There could also be significant differences between runners and non-runners that don't have anything to do with running. For example, runners may follow a healthier food regimen, maintain a healthier weight, or smoke lower than non-runners. They may differ in how their joints are attached, the strength of their ligaments, or genes that direct the event of the muscular system. These aspects can affect the danger of arthritis and make it difficult to interpret study results clearly. In fact, they might explain why some studies show that running is protective.
- The effect of running can vary between people. For example, it is feasible, although not proven, that obese individuals who run recurrently are at increased risk of developing joint pain on account of the pressure of extra weight on the joints.
The bottom line
Trends in recent research suggest that running doesn't break your joints. This ought to be satisfying for those of us who enjoy running. And for those who don't like running, that's okay: try to seek out types of exercise that you just enjoy more. Just don't base your decision—or excuse—on the concept that it is going to break your marriage.