Will distance running training destroy a youthful appearance?

When I went to my 20th High School Reunion the XC runners that still ran and/or did some other type of aerobic fitness all looked younger and in better shape than their peers. It was very noticeable.

Simple answer: Everything in moderation.

NOTHING done in excess is good for the body. Food, drink or exercise.

If someone goes out and runs for 45min every other day they will only look young and youthful with great skin and hair.

if you pursue 50-100miles a week, much of it hard miles, and a weekly 15-20miler, and obsess about food, yes, you will age prematurely.

Im sure u look great Tommy2Nuttz

levchenko wrote:

vaxilated wrote:

LOL at these middle aged - elderly posters claiming they get carded. New levels of gullible are on display!

Right lol😂 these dudes are for sure dreaming that this happened and convinced themself they are the epitome of health and youthfulness.. like dude you look like the old man you are

Gullibility is believing a runner is 63 and buys cigarettes and beer.

Then I'll replace my long runs with tempo runs

deleted123 wrote:

Then I'll replace my long runs with tempo runs

I have swichted to a CrossFit training regimen from distance running. I now realize how much better you feel when your build you body up versus breaking it down

600yd/600m man wrote:

It sure seems as if former middle distance runners live the longest. Specifically, former middle distance runners who have the good sense no to try to be a Marathoner, elite or hobby Marathoner.

Just my experience, for what it's worth: Started running in 5th or 6th grade. Starting at least in college, and well into middle age, I was regularly mistaken for being significantly younger than I was. Particularly notable because I was in the military for 30 years, and through all ranks, including my last, fairly senior, people regularly explicitly said that I looked too young to be that rank.

That takes me through my forties and into my early 50s.

I'm now 54, and just from my own judgement, I think that the lower body fat in my face and neck is perhaps making me look older. Maybe not older than 54, but not a lot younger, as apparently was the case for much of my life. In the last few years, I sometimes look in the mirror and am a bit startled that I look a little too gaunt and oldish. And overall, I'm not SUPER thin. 5-8, 140, and not completely scrawny, muscle-wise. But my face and neck at this point? Pretty gaunt, I guess. Would I look "better" if I stopped running and put on 10-20 pounds? Maybe. Definitely not gonna happen, but....

STEVE THE ADDICT^^^^^^""""""""'"--';"- wrote:

No it doesn't. If anything it helps maintain youthful appearance unless you run in the sun all day and cook your skin.

I agree. Sun is the real factor in terms of youthful appearance. There are a million ways to minimize sun intake, obviously.

But….

Take a typical soft pudgy guy who starts training and eating right for a year. In The before photo he might look “younger” (technically he is) in a way and some would say healthier. But our sick society has no idea what healthy look like. I think the perception of “younger” in the soft and pudgy photo might be subconsciously seen as non-threatening and soft and undisciplined like a child, which is associated with youth. By contrast, a lean and tone body conveys strength and discipline associated with a grown ass man who can do things and is capable and disciplined. No longer a child. Older.

When considering "Will distance running training destroy a youthful appearance?", I think you have to evaluate it in comparison to the other lifestyles people tend to lead. That is, we all presumably have a "youthful appearance" when we're 15 or 20. Then we all start to take different paths in life, many of which involve not taking good care of our bodies.

So, I would say that distance running training (and I assume this means training fairly hard - not just 10 miles a week or whatever) might have a few downsides in comparison to at least some other lifestyle choices, but for the most part it compares favorably with the most common lifestyle choice: being sedentary and eating a lot of garbage. Being a distance runner might not be the very best choice if your single goal in life is to look as youthful as possible, but on the other hand, in a practical sense, it is a much better choice than how most people live their lives.

Strange that this topic keeps coming up every so often despite being discussed and dismissed to death. Distance running, even 100+ mpw, is not directly known to cause skin to age quicker by any scientific studies, “directly” meaning the mitochondrial changes or musculoskeletal stress and adaptations induced by running. Peripheral correlated factors like sun exposure or inadequate nutrition are a different story.

The epithelial layer is peripheral to running that shapes and is shaped by the musculoskeleton and neurological pathways.

I train for middle distances(40-60mpw).

I live in north, so no issue with too much sun. 5.11 and 170lb.

I am 29 and could easily pass for 19 year old.

I agree with the thon + extending hard high volume work into middle age being an age accelerator. I think so long as you’re under 60 MPW, run early or with sunscreen, it’s fine. You can’t be like POW-skinny but with slim fit clothing and a few pushups, it can work. It’s not creatine-titties power lifting 1990’s or early 2000s any more - you can be slim & hot. Data point: I recently lost my wife to cancer and am early 40’s. Holy crap this is by far the most sought after I’ve ever been by multiple 8/10+ females from late 20’s and up. Part of it is that I fell backwards into a high paying job, but the conversations I’ve struck up don’t have much to do with that. Being at least sorta put together is a good place to start from. You will struggle with ladies as a runner, but if Once A Runner who still jogs for mental/physical health, you’re going to crush!