Is Running Bad For You?

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Is Running Bad For You?

I love to run, I really do. I’ve been doing it for fourteen years and it has become an integral part of my life. In fact, I call myself a runner, not because I run almost every day or because of the mileage I rack up, but because I can honestly say I feel better running than not running. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy; I have good runs and really bad runs. Sometimes I feel energized when I run, sometimes I feel like my feet weigh fifty pounds each. But, at the end of the day, I always feel better if I ran.

Running allows me to keep my weight in check and my legs strong. It helps clear my mind and lower my anxiety. It’s inexpensive (you just need a good pair of shoes) and you can do it anywhere and at any time.

It’s the most widely done exercise in the world. Haven’t humans been running since the cavemen had to chase down their meals or runaway from being a meal themselves? And who can forget Farah Fawcett and Lee Majors starting the jogging craze back in the 70s?

Okay, maybe I just dated myself…

So, it’s no wonder my jaw dropped when I read some of the new research that suggests running too much can actually be bad for you (e.g. http://bit.ly/1Kn6woR ). Like, as bad as being a couch potato. What??? Running is bad for you? I can hear my Grandma now, yelling down from Heaven, “I told you so!” But wait, there is countless research showing how exercise, especially, vigorous exercise is beneficial to our health. So, what gives?

I asked my long time friend and fitness guru Greg Burch, with Burch Fitness, if he could shed some light on this, and here’s what he had to say:

My auto-response is to say that in most cases too much of anything is not optimal and is sometimes even more harmful than beneficial. This is from the perspective of our physiology.

In the case of running, when asked if too much is bad for you, I’d say “it depends.” It depends on you primarily and the why behind your efforts. Physiologically humans are in a growth mode through the age of 25, so ladling on more mileage for the sake of improved athletic performance or speed makes good sense for high school, collegiate and post-collegiate athletes. They’re growing, therefore recovery occurs rather quickly and recovery is where the athletic performance improvements occur.

As we enter our 30s, the game changes physiologically as well as mentally. Unfortunately, our 30s (which is still really young) bring about the beginnings of degradation for things left untouched. In men, testosterone development starts dipping instead of climbing. In women, it’s more likely that childbirth has brought about physiological change. We’re aging and this is where exercise (like running) finds a new purpose for most of us. It’s no longer athletic performance as much as it is weight control, doctor’s orders and perhaps for a few – an enjoyable effort that brings about preservative benefits.

For both men and women, age brings about two things without an effort – muscle atrophy and fat gain. As Monica stated, for some, running is simply a cheap, easy, efficient means of killing a lot of birds with one stone. We know that with every year of age our maximum heart rate tends to decrease as the body is very much a use it or lose it entity. So, by running we’re using it and our heart tends to appreciate that as an individual muscle, as well as, the fact that it pumps the blood that carries a majority of necessary substrates to the rest of our body’s systems (organs, skeletal muscle, bones, etc).

Unlike metal and plastic, which weaken when used and stressed, the human body actually increases in potential in response to use and stress. It’s called positive physical adaptation. Running is an efficient means of stressing the body’s different systems in order to maintain and even improve that which is designed to ultimately fail (or not last forever). We’re not just muscle and bones though. Our brain is tied in with a very complicated nerve and endocrine system that regulates everything to include our mental state. Here again, running tends to be a positive stimulant and many runners (myself included) report experiencing a runner’s high. All good stuff!

With regards to this study, or any study citing running as being bad for one’s health … It just depends. Are you running to lose weight? Well, if you’ve kinda let yourself go, are obese and haven’t changed your eating habits, then you may not lose as much weight by running as expected (a very general rule of thumb is 1 mile = approximately 100 calories). Plus, you may even experience joint/knee pain. I always remind clients that they can’t out-exercise a crappy diet. Are you running because the doc said you better exercise and running is the only exercise you know how to do? Are you running because if you don’t get your run in you’re really crabby and life just seems more grey?

My point is, there are a lot of people out there running for so many different reasons. Some think there is no other option for exercise. Some truly enjoy the “runner’s high” (increased endorphin release) and therapeutic value. Some simply get the results they desire by running (feel good, look good, and are by all markers of good health – healthy!). Running is just a very practical option for some, yet not the ideal mode of exercise for everybody.

Sure, research has demonstrated that sometimes too much running/high mileage running (think marathon distances and further) can actually stress the body’s systems a tad too far, to the point of creating a compromised immune system, cumulative stress to connective tissues causing premature wear & tear, etc. But, as far as a magazine article that quotes a quote of a quote regarding a researcher who is familiar with a study that may or may not have been properly conducted, well, magazine articles are for selling magazines and writers are writers, NOT researchers. So, take those articles with a grain of salt and keep running as long as it works for you, makes you happy, a bit more healthy (than not doing anything) and helps to keep you in the same size pants.

Are there better means of building muscle? Yes. Is there current and compelling research for including intensity into some workouts? Absolutely. Is your longevity threatened by choosing to only run, run a lot or run fast? Uhhhh – NO.

So, there you go. Since I run primarily to keep sane, I’m just going to keep on running, thank you very much. I will continue to use it or I will definitely lose it.