Too Much Of A Good Thing?

THE (REASSURING) TRUTH ABOUT HIGHVOLUME RUNNING AND HEART HEALTH.

- Dr Ross Tucker

TRYING TO CONVINCE A RUNNER of the benefits of running is preaching to the converted. We run for the pleasure it provides, and the health benefits it delivers.

But what if too much of it is harmful? And how much is too much? Is there a point at which the benefits you accrue start to level off, and the possible negative side effects of running begin to accumulate?

These questions are not new. I’m sure you’ve heard the likes of: ‘running is bad for your knees. I know someone who had to have a double knee replacement because of it’ (which isn’t proven; the latest research suggests that runners may be less likely to develop osteoarthritis than non-runners).

Another cause for concern is heart health. There’s a theory that running is bad for the heart; that it causes things like arrhythmias and thickening of the heart muscle, leading to a condition called cardiomyopathy, and fibrosis – none of which are good.