I Got News For You: Running Hard Miles After Age 40 INCREASES HEALTH RISKS

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8 years ago 02/26/2017 5:53pm EST

re: Research Rulz

Research Rulz wrote:
So recently there is a lot of talk about older runners having heart attacks. This is not uncommon. Hard training after 40 has a negative impact on the body and actually increases risk of many inflammatory related diseases including micro years and scarring of heart tissue. Marathon training in particular is extremely stressful in the body.
I'm just saying to take it easy as you age. Exercise is good but too much can be a bad thing later in life.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/science/not-enough-running-and-too-much-is-bad-for-your-health-1.2099857%3Fmode%3Damp

For me, 45 - 90 minutes is plenty for daily exercise. Working full-time and doing more than that doesn't give me peaceful time to do things like read and just relax, write a letter to a friend, maintain warm relationships with my loved ones. I love to be outside in the morning and also in the evening, because it helps me focus and keeps me peaceful.

I think the thing to look at is people who are doing lots and lots and lots of exercise perhaps have something lacking in their life for balance, and that lack of balance may very well be the cause of an increased health risk. I know because I've been that person, a well-conditioned athlete since the age of 13. I'm still in great shape at 57, doing about 60 miles a week right now. But I have a peaceful balance in my life that makes a big difference.

8 years ago 02/26/2017 5:57pm EST

re: Research Rulz

Research Rulz wrote:
So recently there is a lot of talk about older runners having heart attacks. This is not uncommon. Hard training after 40 has a negative impact on the body and actually increases risk of many inflammatory related diseases including micro years and scarring of heart tissue. Marathon training in particular is extremely stressful in the body.
I'm just saying to take it easy as you age. Exercise is good but too much can be a bad thing later in life.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/science/not-enough-running-and-too-much-is-bad-for-your-health-1.2099857%3Fmode%3Damp

Your brain has inflammatory bowel disease.

8 years ago 02/26/2017 6:03pm EST

re: Billy Fap

8 years ago 02/26/2017 8:11pm EST

re: Seymour G.

Seymour G. wrote:
A book titled "The Haywire Heart" was just released and is the first to examine the potential negative effects high end endurance training can have on the heart. The author is a cyclist and I think most of the book is from the perspective of a cycling, but is applicable to running nonetheless. There is a long excerpt from the intro on Amazon that provides a pretty good picture of the argument the author will make.
https://www.amazon.com/Haywire-Heart-exercise-protect-heart/dp/1937715671
I don't run much anymore anyway, but in the past year, I have developed the same concerns as the OP. Yes, I know that odds of being one of the people to to experience the negative effects are minimal, but I personally have run into a lot of stories recently of athletes between the ages of 20 - 60 dying during activity due to cardiac issues. Also antidotal, but in my experience, people I know who would be considered runners, or once a runner, as a group don't appear to be healthier in old age.
Tangentially, there was a study done a few years a go that examined the lifestyles of the individuals who lived in "Blue Zones", geographic areas where the population had a significantly higher average life expectancy than most other areas. One of the major takeaways of the study was the prevalence of moderation, specifically in terms of diet and activity. None of these groups did something we would recognize as exercise, but they were all active individuals. All of that is to say that, although not indisputable, the argument that running is an excessive form of exercise that does extreme things to the body and can result in negative longterm heath effects is a reasonable one.

Well said

8 years ago 02/26/2017 8:18pm EST

re: Research Rulz

Excersise, don't exercise, exercise, etc......

Hey experts: Eat my dog's worm infested feces!

8 years ago 02/26/2017 8:21pm EST

re: Advice..

Yes moderation is key in older age. The article and research was referring to intense marathon training and the effects of running marathons. Yes it does cause scarring on heart tissue and micro tears. That's a fact. I doubt running reasonable mileage week in moderation in old age would be too bad. People here just go completely apes shit when presented with facts that threaten their livelihood. The point is not to think you are impervious to heart issues in old age because you are a runner. It is not uncommon to see hard issues in older runners stubborn in their intense routines. High mileage and running marathons is simply bad for older runners. Get over it you bunch of 'tards.

8 years ago 02/26/2017 8:53pm EST

re: Research Rulz

Research Rulz wrote:
Yes moderation is key in older age. The article and research was referring to intense marathon training and the effects of running marathons. Yes it does cause scarring on heart tissue and micro tears. That's a fact. I doubt running reasonable mileage week in moderation in old age would be too bad. People here just go completely apes shit when presented with facts that threaten their livelihood. The point is not to think you are impervious to heart issues in old age because you are a runner. It is not uncommon to see hard issues in older runners stubborn in their intense routines. High mileage and running marathons is simply bad for older runners. Get over it you bunch of 'tards.

There is a mindset on these boards that competitive running makes us somehow invincible. I know that was my attitude as well. If 20 miles a week is good for me then of course more is better. So argue all you want that the published evidence around cardio health risks from heavy exercise are weak. I don't agree but for arguments sake that's fine. Now put the literature aside and just step back a little and think about the overuse injuries that come with heavy training. Don't you have to scratch your head and question yourself for putting that type of stress on your body? How can that be good for you if you are constantly walking the line between sick/injured/healthy especially as you age and your body is less able to adapt to stress?

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I Got News For You: Running Hard Miles After Age 40 INCREASES HEALTH RISKS

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