Good question. I actually gained 20 lbs after I had to quit running, so no. I wasn't light and lean like my younger days, but was a healthy weight. I did have knee issues young, starting in my late 20's. My best educated guess is that I had bad mechanics and kept running through that for too many years without correction.
captain a-fib wrote:
now my question: has anybody ever considered their health and future as a life-long runner? does anybody care? as somebody who had to deal with the scare of a-fib at a young age, I definitely am considering my future with running and exercise.
If life-long endurance runners had a premature death rate like smokers, alcoholics, drug users or the obese then maybe I'd think about it but as a dedicated endurance runner does none of the above and also should be among the leanest and fittest people in society which are both very positively correlated with longevity I suggest that the regular shock-horror exercise is bad stories championed by the fat kid who was picked last for teams in school are BS.
I think Fisky makes some excellent points. I was a national class marathoner in the 1970s (2:19:15) running upwards of 175 miles a week until age 26. I took up the marathon again in my early to mid-50s (2:57:42) training upwards of 100 miles. Although I have not had heart or serious joint issues I was diagnosed with Lymphoma in January 2018. During my illness I have learned of four other long distance runners with the same disease. None of which were masters runners but one does question the stress on the immune system from endurance sports. In the future I plan to limit myself to 800m-5,000m.
Good stuff here! Worth a second read by everyone!
fisky wrote:
Background: I'm 71, a world-class 400/800m runner, and in excellent health. I've studied running, health, and aging for over 20 years and assisted a top anti-aging scientist in writing a book a while back. Here's my take.
The correlation between running and health risk looks like a ski jump. Sedentary people are at the top of the jump with far higher health risks. Recreational runners (12-30mpw) are at the low point of the jump before it slopes back up again. Competitive runners are at or above the lip of the jump, at higher risk than recreational runners but far lower than the sedentary population.
In my opinion, the risk of competitive running can be reduced and the aging process can be slowed by certain steps. I talk about this in my book. Here's a quick summary of those chapters.
Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) of vitamins and nutrients are based on the average adult. You need more because 1) as we age, our cells become less efficient in creating energy and multiplying. More healthy raw materials help offset this diminished cellular efficiency. 2) RDAs are for the average person. As runners, we are at the extreme end of the bell curve of "average." Thus, we need more than the RDA. This is especially true of vits/supps that are depleted by running, like electrolytes. There is a correlation between heart issues and low potassium, for example.
Endurance training (especially competitive marathon training) depletes the immune system temporarily. More precisely, the immune system is strengthened, but inadequate recovery time (and age) keep the immune system in a weakened condition. Low immune systems have been linked to heart disease, cancer, and lots of other diseases. Sufficient recovery and vits/supps help, but I've gone a step further. I no longer do marathon training. I've seen too many health issues in my competitive marathon peers compared to my recreational marathon peers.
HIIT boosts hormone levels and slows aging. I do extreme high-intensity intervals in weightlifting 4-5 days a week and at least one short duration high-intensity sprint drill every week. My testosterone level was 615 a couple of months ago. That's higher than it was at age 52 when I quit marathon training.
Fisky,
What is the title of your book? And does your book outline your weight training recommendations? If not, could you elaborate.
Igy
Organizing 5 transcons left my runners healthy & very productive generally, some now in their 80s & still competing. One died (aneurism) en route. 93 starters, 48 finishers; non-finishers did well also. Even a few volunteers became good ultrarunners.
The benefits are huge but not guaranteed. Many runners also run only to compete at a fast pace; but walking & recreation may be healthier for some.
+10/10
Ghost of Igloi wrote:
Fisky,
What is the title of your book? And does your book outline your weight training recommendations? If not, could you elaborate.
Igy
The book is 200 Tips Every Runner Should Know. It's on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. There is a chapter on weightlifting.
I think Alan2004 is the go-to guru on weightlifting here so I'd defer to his advice if he's following this thread.
My philosophy has been to start with strength moves that mimic some aspect of running motion, learn good form for that move, and then advance to explosive power moves.
I lift for three reasons: to prevent running injuries, to create more speed/power in my events, and to boost testosterone and growth hormone levels to slow aging and increase running performance.
Basically, I do upper body lifts as HIIT. Bench press, pullups, curls, triceps, chest, overhead press. Some days I lift heavy. Some days I lift light. Regardless, on the last set, I lift to exhaustion. I'm not concerned about running motion with upper body lifts. I'm only concerned with boosting hormone levels via HIIT.
Lower body is more specific to running. Lunges, calf raises, and RDLs (Romanian deadlifts) are done for strength. Weighted sled pushes, sled sprints, wall balls, and TRX bridges/hip thrusters are done as HIIT... exercise to exhaustion in a few seconds with 3-6 sets. If I don't have access to the weighted sled, I'll do goblet squats and Bulgarian squats instead. Barbell hip thrusters and box jumps are done progressively higher/heavier for explosive power.
I lift hard. It's not uncommon for someone to ask "Are you okay?" after I finish a set. My training partners are accustomed to it and answer for me, since I usually can't talk after finishing a hard lift. My weights aren't impressive, but they are hard for me.
diet may be an influence wrote:
Some people think diet can influence afib, e.g.
http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.co.uk/2007/12/atrial-tachycardia-and-fibrillation.html
^^ I came across this article while researching A-Fib back in 2008 (after years of recuurence resulting in many cardioversions). It accelerated my diet journey to low carb/high fat.
I haven't had an episode in the ten years since implementing this, after years of biannual -fib. Of course there are many other health benefits of low-carb/keto, but this was one of the most shocking to me.
Agree that diet can be huge & somewhat individual & go with what works.
Ghost of Igloi wrote:
I think Fisky makes some excellent points. I was a national class marathoner in the 1970s (2:19:15) running upwards of 175 miles a week until age 26. I took up the marathon again in my early to mid-50s (2:57:42) training upwards of 100 miles. Although I have not had heart or serious joint issues I was diagnosed with Lymphoma in January 2018. During my illness I have learned of four other long distance runners with the same disease. None of which were masters runners but one does question the stress on the immune system from endurance sports. In the future I plan to limit myself to 800m-5,000m.
Maybe some stress on the immune system from chronic overtraining but probably far more stress on the musculoskeletal system with degeneration and lower shock-absorbing capacity in the older runners.
The Fisky weight training is excellent for overall health and reducing sarcopenia but doesn't work for everyone when it comes to aging runners with a significant injury history and less than ideal biomechanics in a high-impact activity like running. I did fine in my 30s & 40s with decent mileage, speed work, year-round racing, etc. Also trained with the weights regularly (played college football & powerlifted before transitioning to fitness running). Minimal injuries and having a blast.
However, the roof caved in for me in my early to mid-50s with acute injuries galore progressing to chronic including a completely ruptured tendon (PTT) and three partially torn tendons/muscles (Achilles, patella & hamstring) all occurring during high-intesity efforts (races & speed work). I also know several guys and a few women in our Masters club over the last several years who have given up running completely by their mid-50s due to chronic injuries & OA. It seems the attrition rate is pretty high with competitive runners in their 50s & 60s, much less for rec runners.
What you can do when you're younger and having that immorality and "I'll be able to run until 80" feeling quickly diminishes for some of us when we hit our 50s with injuries related to musculoskeletal degeneration. IMO, you've got have all the right stuff; exceptional biomechanics, low body weight, great genetics against injuries, and Lady Luck to be able to train and race consistently without debilitating injuries. Running in your middle-age is whole different ballgame than doing non-weightbearing endurance activites like cycling, swimming, rowing, etc.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12840638I don't worry about it. We've got people on this thread saying stress on the immune system might cause cancer. Can anyone say Bro Science?
I allow myself some indulgences in life. One of those is racing hard. I don't do ironman's, which are definitely too much cardio at once.
I just want to mention one fact: insurance companies don't penalize runners.
If running is so bad for your health, you are going to see on health/life insurance application a question asking if you are a runner, and if you answer yes, your premium is going to go up.
When it comes to fatality and health risks, insurance companies know best, or else they go out of business.
Actually, I frequently see ads of life insurance promising low premium for runners, some specifically say marathon runners.
No. I fear the health consequence of not running.
Caution on THE HAYWIRE HEART - I am a triathlete with PAF and PSVT, and a friend gifted me the book. I asked my sports cardiologist about it - he said although he is friends with one of the authors, the book is based on very shaky science! He said best to disregard it.
I'm more afraid of the opposite of getting fat and sedentary. Has killed many more prematurely.
Go out and run and stay happy as long as you live . Most runners add years to their lives.
For every runner who dies from heart problems, there are probably at least 100 who die from obesity and diabetes.
So hell yes, I take a healthy runners life any time.
It is not the running that ruins your health. Its the obsessive nature of certain runners who go extreme with training and diet.
What runners should fear is too much running on stone. Yes running bodies are fussy and need to be pampered with wonderful land sand grass trail that is a mix of undeveloped and developed, not so worn to lose its life giving power and not so wild as to be deleterious and lacking the magical touch of the human traffic and destiny.