Elsevier

Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Volume 90, Issue 11, November 2015, Pages 1541-1552
Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Review
Effects of Running on Chronic Diseases and Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.08.001Get rights and content

Abstract

Considerable evidence has established the link between high levels of physical activity (PA) and all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD)–specific mortality. Running is a popular form of vigorous PA that has been associated with better overall survival, but there is debate about the dose-response relationship between running and CVD and all-cause survival. In this review, we specifically reviewed studies published in PubMed since 2000 that included at least 500 runners and 5-year follow-up so as to analyze the relationship between vigorous aerobic PA, specifically running, and major health consequences, especially CVD and all-cause mortality. We also made recommendations on the optimal dose of running associated with protection against CVD and premature mortality, as well as briefly discuss the potential cardiotoxicity of a high dose of aerobic exercise, including running (eg, marathons).

Section snippets

Link Between PA, ET, CRF, and Prognosis

Considerable evidence suggests that physical inactivity, also referred to as a sedentary lifestyle, may be the greatest threat to health in the 21st century.1, 2, 3 Despite the guidelines for PA, evidence suggests that a minority of adults in the United States and much of Western civilization are meeting these minimal PA recommendations.1, 2, 3, 17 We have previously reported that a progressive decline in PA, especially in occupational and household PA, over the past 5 decades is a primary

Major Running Studies

Although many studies have assessed the impact of running on chronic diseases as well as CVD and all-cause mortality, this review focuses predominantly on prospective observational databases, including published findings from the National Runners' and Walkers' Health Study,26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 the Running Aging Study,44 the Copenhagen City Heart Study,13, 14 and the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS).11, 12 We reviewed studies published

Potential Cardiotoxicity of High Doses of Aerobic Exercise, Including Running

Although higher levels of aerobic PA and ET, including running, are associated with numerous health benefits, including protection against CVD and all-cause mortality, as compared with a sedentary lifestyle, there still may be potential adverse effects from high doses of running and other forms of EET,7, 8, 9 such as marathons, ultramarathons, Iron Man distance triathlons, and long, high-intensity bicycle rides (Figure 4).7 The potential adverse effects of aerobic ET have been debated, with

Exercise and Running Doses Recommendations

According to a set of data, there are numerous benefits of running. Even in 1993, Haskell et al56 reported that in 11 ultradistance runners, the dilating capacity of the epicardial arteries was markedly increased and correlated positively with their CRF and negatively with their adiposity, reduced heart rate, and plasma lipoproteins, and these benefits have now been considerably extended with the evidence discussed above. However, the current recommendation of 150 min/wk of moderate or 75

Conclusion

Substantial data indicate the marked benefits of vigorous aerobic PA and CRF on subsequent health. Substantial evidence indicates that running, a common form of vigorous aerobic PA, has numerous health benefits, with some evidence indicating that benefits apparently maximizing at quite low doses of running. Although there may be some negative health consequences of EET, such as prolonged running (eg, marathons and triathlons), which are relatively small, the overall benefits of running far

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