Hairlines and male pattern baldness are to my knowledge genetic. I knew many guys (not runners) with receding/widow's peak around 20 and at least one who was practically bald (not shaven, no illness, he had a full beard and the typical remainder around the neck bald guys have) at 22.
They eat very high carb diets, lots of sugar, and lots of sun. Makes you look old.
The sun is by far the bigger factor. Basically every outdoors athlete who has stayed in the sport for multiple decades looks quite old. Just look at surfers. Surfers don't necessarily eat a high carb diet. I don't think most runners eat a higher sugar diet than non-runners. Sure maybe at the competive level they eat more carbs, but most runners just eat what they like - a similar diet to when they aren't running with just a lot more calories.
I'm in my mid 60s, run 60+ miles per week, low body fat. I look older than most at the same age and it seems to be the earlier onset of wrinkles due to lower weight.
However, the average guy my age looks worse (in my humble opinion) due to the paunch and often sluggish demeanor. The guys who look the best are in-between. They try to stay fit but have a little more fat.
I figured a ton of cardio would be great for staying youthful but it seems like a disproportionate number of runners I see look old for their age. Most of them typically have fine lines or deep wrinkles and the men typically don’t have great heads of hair.
is running not net positive when comes solely to looks?
Moderation is key. Running’s health benefits max out at ~three hours a week. Anything more is pure entertainment that’s as beneficial as playing video games but with more injury risks.
Premature aging symptoms like wrinkles and thinning hair however are unlikely to be worsened (beyond your genetics) by running itself but more likely by poor skin care and nutrition.
This thread is useless without pics. Everyone just posting random anecdotes.
What I know, people who dont exercise look terrible in old age. Do they look young? I guess if you consider being overweight and weak young looking than sure, I guess.
It definitely feels like too high a percentage of sub elite to elite distance runners have thinning hairlines/crowns. The front pack of marathon (or that BU 5k) have made me wonder if there could be a relationship between the two
It's easy to forget about the distance runners who look young for their age e.g. Paula Radcliffe and Scott Jurek are 50 this year and Mo Farah will be 40; they all look great for their age. Perhaps there's a genetic element but also perhaps the average hobby jogger spends more time running in steady effort/higher heart rate sort of runs and causing more oxidative damage.
I know that I (and a fair number of other runners I know) look pretty young for our ages. I'm 41 and still get carded when I buy alcohol. Despite the fact that I occasionally buy alcohol, I don't have a beer gut, and I only have 1 chin. Makes me look pretty good for my age.
It also helps that I live in the PNW, so there isn't all that much in the way of extreme heat, cold or UV exposure.
It definitely feels like too high a percentage of sub elite to elite distance runners have thinning hairlines/crowns. The front pack of marathon (or that BU 5k) have made me wonder if there could be a relationship between the two
Gonna make some people mad, but there's also the fact that running is self selective. If you're a fast runner you'll probably play your areas most popular sport (soccer, amer/aus football, hockey, etc) and only turn to running if that isn't working out. One reason why team sports don't work out besides coordination is the dynamics of a real (sorry xc) team sport. If you aren't a dominant personality type it's difficult. Dominant personality types are in part related to parents, and I bet Dad's with a sick head of hair are displaying a lot more... Chad-like? characteristics.
Have any of you been to a high school reunion? Been 30 years for me and I still am the same body weight as in HS (155-160 range). My guess is my average classmate has put on at least 30 pounds, and a lot of them have put on quite a bit more. One of the shortest girls in the class was probably at most 100 pounds then; she looks to be pushing 180 or more now. Looks like a beached whale. Already put about 14 of my classmates in the ground, too. Trust me, keep running. You definitely look better without the gut hanging over your belt.
I figured a ton of cardio would be great for staying youthful but it seems like a disproportionate number of runners I see look old for their age. Most of them typically have fine lines or deep wrinkles and the men typically don’t have great heads of hair.
is running not net positive when comes solely to looks?
Running can make you look younger or older. Here's how:
Younger:
-Allowing you to keep your weight down (but not too low) always looks younger than overweight or obese.
-Being healthy, always looks younger than being ill with preventable chronic diseases (walkers, wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, amputations). Running helps prevent that.
-Feeling healthier, more energetic and younger allows one to project that a more youthful energy, and running helps this. That is opposed to moping around, tired, obese, complaining about what you can't do anymore, which makes one seem older than they could otherwise.
Older:
-Running without hats, sunglasses and sunscreen will age the skin. This can be avoided with planning, or by running indoors or before/after the sun is up, but can't be reversed once the damage is done.
-Allowing running to drag your weight down too far, will reverse any youthful effect of weight loss and make one appear gaunt and older. Just eat more and add some weight lifting if needed and this can be fixed.
This post was edited 2 minutes after it was posted.
It definitely feels like too high a percentage of sub elite to elite distance runners have thinning hairlines/crowns. The front pack of marathon (or that BU 5k) have made me wonder if there could be a relationship between the two
Distance runners may not make enough money for a transplant. If a transplant is $20,000, NFL and NBA players can afford it but not so much distance runners.
It definitely feels like too high a percentage of sub elite to elite distance runners have thinning hairlines/crowns. The front pack of marathon (or that BU 5k) have made me wonder if there could be a relationship between the two
Distance runners may not make enough money for a transplant. If a transplant is $20,000, NFL and NBA players can afford it but not so much distance runners.
Can always get it done in Turkey like all the Youtube influencers.
My wife is an aesthetic nurse. We runners age horribly because we're always in the sun and we strain our face as we run hard. If you don't want to age...don't have expressions
Distance runners may not make enough money for a transplant. If a transplant is $20,000, NFL and NBA players can afford it but not so much distance runners.
Can always get it done in Turkey like all the Youtube influencers.