Will Running Cause Arthritis?

Whether Long-Distance Running Leads To Osteoarthritis

Jan 12, 2009 Anne Valente

Despite rumors that running may cause arthritis later in life, research shows that long-distance running may actually help prevent its onset.

Most runners have likely heard warnings from friends or family about the dangers of their favorite pastime, including admonitions on the wear and tear that will surely cause arthritis later in life. Though such reprimands make logical sense, recent research shows that long-distance running may actually prevent the onset of arthritis. While chronic running injuries may bring about arthritis later in life, researchers have found that a steady, healthy habit of lifelong running may inhibit its development.

How Running Prevents Arthritis

Friends and family are not necessarily mistaken when they warn runners of their pastime’s eventual dangers. The wear-and-tear argument makes perfect sense regarding many other things that eventually wear down with use, such as cars, running shoes, and even appliances like microwaves and toasters. However, the human body is built differently, and as a living entity, is designed to repair and strengthen itself. According to Amby Burfoot of Runner’s World (“Does Running Cause Arthritis?” August 2004), living tissue grows stronger the more it is used. Burfoot cites an ongoing study of the Fifty Plus Runners Association, launched in 1984 and continuing today, in which runners over 50 were tested against non-runners to determine whether their joints showed signs of deterioration. Over time, however, the study determined that the runners experienced 25 percent less musculoskeletal pain than the control group.

Information from the Arthritis Foundation supports these findings, as the organization’s website reports that osteoarthritis can be caused by both obesity and muscle weakness (Arthritis Foundation, 2009). Maintaining a healthy body mass and engaging in weight-bearing activity that strengthens muscles can prevent arthritis. Both objectives, incidentally, can be reached through a healthy habit of running.

Running Safely To Prevent Arthritis

However, the Arthritis Foundation also cites injury or overuse as a possible cause of arthritis, which is why runners should work to protect their bodies throughout their running careers. Though running itself can help prevent osteoarthritis, running on an injury is just as unhealthy as not exercising at all. According to Dr. Marybeth Crane, a podiatrist based in Texas (“Does Running Cause Arthritis?” Foot and Ankle Associates of North Texas, April 30, 2008), improper biomechanics, rather than running itself, can bring about osteoarthritis. Crane maintains that joints are strengthened by activity and damaged by inactivity, however, and that runners with poor biomechanics or repeated injuries should see a sports medicine specialist to properly align their bodies for healthy exercise.

According to Crane, the benefits of long-distance running overwhelmingly outweigh the risks of developing arthritis, and that proper mechanics are all runners need to maintain their routine for a lifetime. Runners can take this advice to heart and maintain their running schedule for years to come by taking care of themselves, without worry of developing joint problems later in life.

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Running Can Prevent The Onset Of Arthritis.