Sitting negates running?

A bastion of scientific thought, Runner's World isn't. There is no research or schooling that I have seen or heard of that rest position could effect the benefits of exercise, with the exception of maybe recovery time (if one was to "rest" in a particularly blood-restricting manner).

That mayo clinic study seems to say that after adjusting for exercise duration, people who sit more are less fit than their standing/walking brethren. I have seen sloppier comparisons made, but only a few. The full text is behind a pay-wall, but I think this is just another "duh" moment in research.

Scientist: Are you fit?

Average Rube: Yeah!

Scientist: Do you sit a lot?

Average Rube: Yeah!

Scientist: You would be more fit if you sat less!

Besides the fact that the difference between a true high mileage or competitive runner and just a normal "fit person" is like comparing.... two... really incomparable things(?)... how they presumed to quantify not only how much "gainz" you lose, but how much you gained in the first place is absurd. Individual difference in response to exercise are VAST and anyone who tells you that you would get "Two running points faster" for a particular workout needs to be gently patted on the head and applauded for their video game-esqe idea of how "leveling up" works. It's cute, but grownups are talking now, and they should go play with their blocks.

But take all that with a grain of salt, because I'm just some dude on the internet.

I am on week 2 of having an adjustable desk where i can stand up to work when i want. I found that i still like to sit because i'm tired from running. but, when i start fading or feeling stiff, the stand up option is great.

I'm hoping it helps clear up my chronic high hamstring issues.

Yeah and those lazy Kenyans who sit around all day after running are losing fitness.

jabberwocky wrote:

As a high mileage runner who regularly has to work 60+hours a week at a desk job, I am skeptical of the claims that each hour of sitting removes 8% of the benefits of one hour of running (http://www.runnersworld.com/health/how-much-does-sitting-negate-your-workout-benefits). While I feel much better after a day that does not include 10-12 hours of sitting, it seems highly unlikely that this sitting is canceling out most of the ill defined "positive effects" of my run. I'm interested if anyone else has input, for example, someone who has gone from a desk job to a more active job, or vice versa.

I get plenty of exercise walking to and from the vending machine in search of snacks. I bet they didn't factor that detail into their calculations.

SCIENCE! wrote:

There is no research or schooling that I have seen or heard of that rest position could effect the benefits of exercise

Scientific research cited in these articles:

Lots in the NYTimes about this topic too:

"It doesn’t matter if you go running every morning, or you’re a regular at the gym. If you spend most of the rest of the day sitting — in your car, your office chair, on your sofa at home — you are putting yourself at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and an early death. In other words, irrespective of whether you exercise vigorously, sitting for long periods is bad for you.

That, at least, is the conclusion of several recent studies."

We need to work towards normalizing lying down at work.

This proves elites read the boards.

And next year it will be discovered that you are shortening your life if you use a touch screen rather than a mouse and keyboard.

I appreciate your input into the discussion! None of your links are scientific studies thought, and I am skeptical by nature. Just because someone can write an article on the internet (or if I'm being meta, a forum post) doesn't mean I should listen to them.

However, one of those links cites their source study! A study that uses rats, which are very decidedly NOT the kind of people who would post Letsrun, and looked at their brains after making them sit still or run around. I feel that the jump from "These rats had altered neural mapping!" to "IF YOU SIT DOWN YOU WILL GET CANCER AND DIE!" is a little premature. Just saying.

I still stand by my assertion that OP is not negating 80% of the benefit of his runs by sitting for ten hours. Especially since it's a claim for his health benefit from running and not his endurance benefit, and because if he is a high mileage runner, there is a zero percent chance he can sit still for that long without stretching himself absently or walking around.

Articles like the ones you posted are great for a generic representation of the population who thinks that a nice 30 minute jog/walk should be followed up by a full three movie LOTR marathon and 72oz Diet Coke, but for the Letsrun crowd I think we're all covered.