Runners and running website claim that running can improve everything from one's mood to risk of death. It is necessary though to examine the science behind these claims. I recently gave a lecture at the Indian Science Congress and examined four claims - adding years to life, reducing cancer risk, no evidence of knee damage and improving bone density and reducing fracture risk.

1. Running and Health
Dr. Bhavin Jankharia
Jankharia Imaging

2. No dearth of lay literature and books expounding the benefits of running

3. No dearth of lay literature and books expounding the benefits of running

4. Running strengthens your knees and other bones and joints
Running will keep you sharper as you age
http://www.runnersworld.com/health/6-ways-running-improves-your-health?page=single
No dearth of lay literature and books expounding the benefits of running

5. Data
What does the science say?

6. Running strengthens your knees and other bones and joints
Running improves bone mineral density
The Data

7. All Cause Mortality
Cardiovascular Mortality

8. Leisure-Time Running Reduces
All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality Risk
Lee DC et al. JACC 2014;64:472
55137 adults, 18-100 years of age – mean age of
44 years
Mean follow-up of 15 years
24% of these adults were runners

9. Runners
30% lower risk of all cause mortality
45% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality
3-years additional life expectancy benefit
Non-runners
This occurred with
< 51 mins of running per week (5-10 mins /day)
< 10 K / hr
< 10 K / week
1-2 times / week

11. The Scientific Literature

12. Cancer Risk

13. Cardiorespiratory fitness, lifestyle factors
and cancer risk and mortality in Finnish men
Laukkanen J A et al. Eur J Cancer 2010;46:355
2268 men from Eastern Finland
Mean follow-up of 16.7 years
24% of these adults were runners

14. VO2 Max
Maximum O2 consumption
VO2 max of <26.9 ml/kg/min equals to running less
than 1700 metres in 12 minutes for 30-39 years old
men

15. Fit Men
27% decreased cancer incidence
37% reduced cancer mortality
Unfit Men – VO2 max of <26.9 mL/kg/min
This occurred essentially because of
Reduced risk of lung cancer

16. A prospective study of cardiorespiratory fitness
and breast cancer mortality
Peel J B et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2009;41:742
14811 women in Texas
One time health checkup between 1970 to 2001
Evaluation of cardiorespiratory fitness using VO2
evaluation
Mortality evaluation in 2003

18. The Scientific Literature

19. The Knees

20. The Common Belief is that Running Damages the Knees

21. Changes on magnetic resonance tomography in the knee
joints of marathon runners: a 10-year longitudinal study
Krampla WW et al. Skel Radiol 2008;37:619
8 people
7 long-distance runners, 1 who had given up running
MRI scans

22. Runners
No long term consequence or damage
MRI of the knees at baseline and after 10 years
Non-Runner
Progression of degeneration

23. What Is the Effect of Physical Activity on the
Knee Joint? A Systematic Review
Urquhart D et al. Med Sci Sports Exer 2011;43:432
Meta-analysis
28 studies
22 radiological and 6 MRI
16 longitudinal

24. Does Running Damage the Knee
No evidence
Knee
Does Running Strengthen The Knee
Possibly

25. The Scientific Literature
Running strengthens your knees and other bones and joints

26. Osteoporosis

27. Shuler F D et al. Understanding the Burden of Osteoporosis and Use of the World Health Organization
FRAX. Orthopedics 2012;9:798

28. Shuler F D et al. Understanding the Burden of Osteoporosis
and Use of the World Health Organization FRAX.
Orthopedics 2012;9:798

29. The effect of moderate impact exercise on
skeletal integrity in master athletes
Velez NF et al. Osteoporos Int 2008;19:1457
44 runners
43 swimmers
87 non-athletes
All over the age of 65

30. Runners and Swimmers
Total BMD was much higher in runners
and swimmers as compared to controls
Bone Density
Runners versus Swimmers
The total BMD was more or less the same
Hip and heel BMD were higher in runners

31. The effects of strengthening and high-impact exercises
on bone metabolism and quality of life in
postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial
Basat H et al. J Back Musculoskel Rehabil 2013;26:427
42 post-menopausal women into 3 groups
Strengthening exercise
High impact exercise (running)
No exercise

32. High Impact Exercise
Significant increase in BMD at 6 months
as compared to the strengthening and
control groups
Bone Density
Health Related Quality of Life Questionnaire
This improved in both the exercise groups

33. Why Run?

34. Running strengthens your knees and other bones and joints
Running improves bone mineral density
The Scientific Literature

35. Get Up and Out and On Your Feet

36. Thank You