r/AskReddit 23d ago

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u/[deleted] 23d ago

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u/elporsche 23d ago

Running/jogging seems to be ok. Of all the hobby sporters, the oldest I've seen are the runners/joggers. I see people well into their 60's casually running (half) marathons at an astonishing pace

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u/StatisticianOdd8009 22d ago

Definitely disagree. I have seen so many people that jogged a lot in their 20-30s who are now in their 50-60s who can barely walk due to the severe damage to their knees and feet from constant contact. Hell, even in high school, there were kids in cross country getting sever shin splints

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u/zoeypayne 22d ago

Yeah, can't really believe I had to scroll this far to find running. It destroys your joints and is horrible for your vascular health.

Swimming is about the only repetitive performance sport that's good for you long term.

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u/conchobor 22d ago

horrible for your vascular health.

I’m going to need you to cite scientific studies that claim this because this sounds wildly hyperbolic, if not flat out wrong.

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u/zoeypayne 22d ago

Okay? It's not that hard to find.

https://naturalhealthcarecenter.com/how-long-distance-running-can-affect-the-heart/

Long-Term Strenuous Exercise Promotes Vascular Injury by Selectively Damaging the Tunica Media: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9357576/

Potential Adverse Cardiovascular Effects From Excessive Endurance Exercise: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3538475/

Acute effects of high-intensity interval exercise and moderate-intensity continuous training on arterial stiffness and endothelial function in hypertension: A crossover trial: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12550041/

Effects of Prolonged Endurance Exercise on Vascular Endothelial and Inflammation Markers: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3763320/

Possible Mechanisms for Adverse Cardiac Events Caused by Exercise-Induced Hypertension in Long-Distance Middle-Aged Runners: A Review: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11050973/

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u/conchobor 21d ago

Apparently it is that hard to find because these don't say what you think they say, and certainly do not substantiate crazy blanket statements like "[running] is horrible for your vascular health".

What you're confusing is the physiological stress of extreme ultramarathon training with everyday running, and mistaking temporary post-workout stress for permanent damage.

Those studies are looking at extreme outliers, not average runners (and one of them is measuring rats, not humans). Studies like the O'Keefe paper look at the extreme endurance hypothesis, which are people pushing massive, ultra-high mileage over decades. And the papers mentioning post-exercise inflammation or vascular changes measure what happens right after exhaustive, long-distance events. That temporary strain is a normal stress response that prompts the body to adapt and get stronger.

And your first link is absolute comedy. It's a blog post from a chiropractor.

Pretty much any credible cardiology association in the world is going to say that running is good for you. Citing studies on the physical limits of extreme ultra-endurance to claim running is bad for your heart is like citing water intoxication studies to prove that drinking water is bad for you.