At what point does running start to prematurely age you?

The klotho you get from running is reducing the aging process, but only if you also get enough foxxo. Some people don't do that. Others avoid sunscreen and eat junk food to get enough calories or avoid fasting from time to time.

Okay...less sun.exposure - makes sense.

But what else did you do? Special diet? Supplements?

...or just good genetics?

I'm 65 and have a grey beard. Most people probably think that I am older than I am. However, when I shave and am beardless, most people are shocked at how old I am. I have often wondered how much the beard has saved my face from the sun. Also, About 10 years ago I started wearing a baseball cap on most runs (except in the winter when I need a hat over my ears). That has probably helped save my face a little.

Sunscreen every time

Hat

Moderate milegage

Strength training

You will be happy to look 10 years younger than other simply because you're fit and not overweight. Protect your skin and put on some muscle. Stop running > 50 mpw.

A few things go into this: sun exposure, and also, I hate to say this, fat mass.

As you age, the less fat you have, the more wrinkles you are going to have. Look at heavier people - they tend to have fewer wrinkles than their skinny counterparts.

I'd personally take wrinkles over excess weight. The sun is the one thing you can control. I'm in my 40s and started on prescription strength retinoids to start to reverse some of the face sun damage (look up tretinoin). Hard part is you REALLY have to be diligent about sunscreen and hats while on it.

I definitely look younger than my age (65). A lot of good points made already, sunscreen, Maybe not overdoing it on the high mileage end, some weight training helps definitely.

But if I can wing it here, please allow me.

Posture is important as is how you move. There is a world of difference from seniors and how they hold themselves and how they move from their younger counterparts. With that in mind, it's a good idea to introduce into your training program workouts that specifically target the following: flexibility, range of motion, strength, strength endurance, explosive strength, sustainable strength, balance, coordination, and stamina. If you work each of these areas, they will in fact stay highly functional and minimize the impacts aging has on our physiques and our capabilities.

Again, there are specific workouts to work each of these.

Next, no one mentioned rest - this is key and it's important both for recovery in terms of between workouts/runs as well as sleep hygiene (and I only know that term because mine ain't so good and docs have talked to me about it).

Diet is key, and we all know this but lots of controversy about what constitutes a good one. For me, it's the Mediterranean Diet in general, very little alcohol, no deserts and virtually no sweets. Watching one's weight at least in so far as it will approach a normal BMI. Lately I have been noticing how bad I feel if I eat too much bread, and I am wondering if too much carbs might lead to inflammation.

Protein intake, antioxidant intake, and things like that are definitely on my radar to an obsessive level.

Staying within Food and Drug Administration's recommendations for percentage of calories ascribed to the various food groups (servings of fruits and vegies, fat intake, protein, etc.) is important.

Lastly, train smart. It's a work in progress, and always be analyzing the results and making adjustments as needed based on the feedback.

I stopped running by 27 and in my early 20s I looked like I was 40. And now in my 30s I look about the same. I lived in an area of intense heat (100 degree day summers were the norm) so I literally cooked my face.

The "running ages you" trope was invented by and is repeated by people having mobility problems in their 40s due to obesity

Probably the biggest impact comes from loss of muscle mass as you enter your 50s and beyond. If you’re purely just running without any strength training then you can definitely get that withered look which adds to the aging effect you get from all the exposure to the elements etc.

No one ages in running anymore. Haven't you heard - runners are not susceptible to aging? 40 is the new 20. With "modern shoes, training and nutrition" they will always get better.

At some point most people who have low body fat will start to get the Skeletor look. I wouldn’t say running makes it any worse than for a random non-runner who got too much sun and has low body fat.

If you are really worried about it, eat up and aim for the high end of the healthy BMI and body fat percentage ranges.

"Running makes you look old and destroys your knees," said the obese, 50-year-old non-runner with two knee replacements, to the fit, 50-year-old runner, with healthy joints and who walks without a cane.

Come back in 10 years.

I'm 56 and most people are shocked and assume i'm 15-20 years younger. I don't do anything re: skin care routine other than occasional sunscreen, so I wouldn't doubt it will catch up to me sometime. Knees are fine (knock wood). Definitely helps that I am slightly built and hair hasn't turned white (just a touch of gray at the temples).

Maybe 10 years ago I was talking with a neighbor I don't know that well, who was convinced we had a teenager living with us who they saw out running every day.

Not if you eat the stable, healthy saturated animal fats that our ancestors evolved on, instead of the industrial plant oils pushed by industry and government to accelerate aging and debilitation.

Eating up & gaining weight would hurt running performance for the hardcore 60+ plus runners.

Mileage, volume, intensity would all go down & risk of injuries would exponentially go up.

I remember when I belonged to a masters running club for the better part of two decades all the hardcore 60+ plus guys had extremely low BF & that "skeletor" look (in fact, many looked way older than their age - especially the guys with beards & those bald). There weren't any muscular or stocky guys at that level unless they were on TRT or something.

Ed Whitlock had that skeletor look & was basically skin & bones. He didn't look very healthy but yet was one of the greatest runners of his age.

What do you think would have happened to his performance & longevity of his running if he ate up & aimed up for the high end of his BMI.

Sincere question, and this is not a rhetorical question, but of those 60+ runners who are very lean and dare i say 'skeletal', how do they hold up as to injuries?

I well understand how carrying too much weight can lead to injuries, but how about on the other end of the spectrum? I would think there would be some serious risk there as well in that joints, connective tissue, musculature and bone mass need a little bulk to withstand the impacts and abuse.

It's all depends on sun exposure. Someone in their 20s could easily look 10 years older due to skin damage.

Runners look younger for sure.

it’s only the ones pounding hours out in the sun that look aged