Too much running tied to shorter lifespan, study show

If running 15 miles a week is heart healthy, running 45 miles a week gives you a cardiovascular system three times as clean and strong, right?

A new study is sounding the alarm about such thinking, adding to a growing body of research on the topic of excessive endurance exercise.

You’ve heard of runner’s high. Researchers now want you to hear about runner’s plaque — coronary artery plaque.

Recent studies show that although running has many beneficial health factors to it, there actually may be some negative effects on your health by participating. A moderate regime of running (two to three hours per week) was studied, and was the best possible decision for longevity according the researchers; this negates the usual rule of “more is better” when it comes to being physically active.

This newest study has the debate of whether people whom aren’t active at all have longer life spans than those who are vigorously active on a more consistent basis. The reason why runners have shorter lie spans is pretty unclear, according to studies researchers. Cardiac risks aren’t the cause, so there isn’t much else the scientists have to go on. “Our study didn’t find any differences that could explain these longevity differences,” stated Dr. Martin Matsumura, whom is the co-director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the Lehigh Valley Health Network.

The study looked at over 3,800 runners of various genders, the average age of the group being 46. The went through the process of Masters Running Study, which is a web-based trial that pertains to the health and training of runners whom are 35 and over. About 70 percent of the group had reported in an astounding 20 miles a week.

Agencies/Canadajournal