As a long distance trail runner, I am often questioned about my motives for training as I do and, more often than not, if I am aware of the implications that this WILL have on my knees later in life!
So I thought instead of arguing the point time and time again I would write a blog on the latest research on the latter of the questions to help clear up some of the common misconceptions.
Now we know that running produces a lot more force on the body than walking but is this really a bad thing for us? Should we really avoid such a natural movement as running and focus our efforts for health and fitness on low impact methods of training for life?
"Running produces ground reaction forces that are approximately 2.5 times body weight, while the ground reaction force during walking is in the range of 1.2 times body weight." You're also more likely to trip and fall while running than you are during a walk. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11086751/
So is this where the thoughts come from that as runners we will likely wear away our cartilage and be riddled with osteoarthritis in our knees as soon as the bus pass arrives? Well hold on to your seats…the science says actually this is incorrect and running could actually have been proven to reduce your chances of this!
“medical research tends to show that running has a protective effect against arthritis. Studies of large numbers of men show that recreational runners have a lower risk of hip and knee arthritis. This effect is partly explained by the lower body weight of these men. Other studies that measure knee cartilage suggest that running may stimulate cartilage to grow, not wear it out.” https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/will-continuing-to-run-make-my-knees-wear-out-faster
So maybe the worry should be shifted to being overweight for consistent periods of time throughout our lives? Could this be the real cause of getting osteoarthritis and wearing out our cartilage rather than picking on poor old running!? All jokes aside, I do see plenty of runners getting injuries but maybe its just because they are not wrapping themselves in cotton wool all day and they are testing the body’s capacity more often.
Overuse injuries are often what I see in clinic. My experience of working within the health and fitness industry for over 8 years leads me to believe the injuries are down to improper progression and overload. Overuse injuries are ones that occur because you are putting more stress on the body than it can handle.
So if you do want to take up running it is advisable to build up slowly; especially if you have some level of fitness already. This is because you can often push harder than the body can handle. The 10% per week increase rule is always a good ball park to start increasing your running volume.
Remember that everyone is different. We all have different biomechanics and training history/ lifestyles so it is never one size fits all with programs. Be careful starting a program off of the internet without consulting a professional about if it will work for you and how you should adapt it accordingly.
If you are inspired by London marathon this past weekend and want to start running yourself I offer online coaching and programming for beginners and first time racers for just £12.50 per week. Simply drop me an email; I would be more than happy to discuss more!
Keep it fun and enjoy the process!
Happy running,
Sean
Notes:
Extra scientific research for anyone interested in some bedtime reading:
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