The Long Term Effects of Running on Your Knees

The Long Term Effects of Running on Your Knees

Running is an excellent cardiovascular exercise that really gets your blood flowing. It is an ideal way for individuals to combat all types of problems, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Those who run can look forward to all types of benefits in the future, including overall health management and weight loss. However, many people may fear running regularly for fear of wearing away at their joints. 

Both joint wear and the general effects of aging are considered to be major factors behind the development of osteoarthritis. Many high-impact exercises, including running, typically apply large amounts of pressure on the knees, hips and ankles. This leads many to believe that running regularly is one of the strongest ways to wear your joints out over the years. However, studies are beginning to show that this might not be entirely true, and experts believe that the wear itself is not as severe as many people believe, especially if individuals take a few necessary precautions to better protect their joints.

The large amount of concern that those who run regularly may wear out cartilage in their knees as a result of extensive use has led to stigma against distance running. Though the cause for this concern is real, as osteoarthritis is one of the world's most common and damaging joint diseases, it is ultimately better for individuals to know about the effects of the disease and what to expect in the future in order to better avoid its onset. There is no known cure for the disease currently, but, ultimately, the idea that running may cause osteoarthritis has already been extensively studied. 

In 2013, researchers published a study that documented the activities of over 14,000 runners and over 70,000 walkers during a period of seven years in order to determine whether or not they had a higher chance of developing osteoarthritis. The research showed that not only was there no increase in the cases of osteoarthritis, but there were fewer incidents of osteoarthritis and hip replacements among runners, simply because of their lower overall body mass index.

Though the research showed that running may not have a tremendously negative effect on joint health, it is important to be prepared. Studies also show that individuals who are over 20 pounds overweight may actual experience adverse effects on their joints because of how much the extra weight may affect their run. Ultimately, because of how well individuals ended up losing weight after running regularly, researchers agreed that the most important way for individuals to lose weight and improve their overall joint health was to run regularly. 

Like any other similar exercising approach, however, it is important to be as safe as possible in order to avoid damage. Try to take your running slow, especially if you have not done a lot of running in the past. Starting at an easy pace is one of the best ways to proceed because it allows you to adjust according to your exact level of comfort. Not every method of running is right for every person, so do not worry about measuring your progress against another runner. As long as you are moving forward and you are able to push yourself to stay with an exercise plan, you can benefit in the future without worrying about joint pain.

How to Use Your Diet to Benefit Before, During, and After Running

What you eat before, during, and after running can have a great impact on your health and your overall performance. Running is a high endurance exercise and your body needs the right fuel to perform well and to recover afterwards. Even if you are just out jogging at a slow pace, you should fuel your body with what it needs.

What To Eat Before Running

If you are going to run for more than an hour, you should take the time to load up on some good carbs about two hours before you go out for the run. Eat a bowl of oatmeal with a banana or a bowl of pasta and some veggies. Make sure that you drink at least eight ounces of water. Hydration is very important to exercise success. The glycogen contained in the carbs will be used as fuel during your run.

What To Eat While Running

Unless you are running a marathon or half marathon or for more than two hours, you should probably avoid doing anything other than drinking water or sports drinks while you are running. If you are running for two hours or more, it is important that you take a protein bar with you, or two depending on the length of time. You need to restore your protein and carbs to keep your energy levels high. You should also sip on a low calorie sports drink to replaenish your electrolytes.

What To Eat After Your Run

When you are done exercising, it is also important to replenish your body of the fuel that it used so that it can continue to make energy and burn calories. Eat another high carb meal that also has a balance of 3 to 1 with proteins. This will help your muscles to recover and store more glycogen for future energy use.

The Most Important Things To Remember

Regardless of how experienced of a runner you are, or how far you run each time, it is very important that you stay properly hydrated for optimal performance. Your body needs the glycogen for fuel and water to ensure that all of your organs perform properly. Being dehydrated can lead to serious risks to your health before, during or after your run.

If you are going to drink sports drinks, you are encouraged to look for low calorie alternatives. The important part of the sports drink is the electrolytes, not the sugar for energy. You have already fuels your body with the right type of carbs and do not need sugar to enhance this energy level. Remember, only drink these types of drinks during or after you run. You really do not need to replenish your electrolytes before you run.

There is one final thing to remember before you run for optimal performance. When you load up on carbs before you run, make sure to give your body at least two hours to process what you eat. It takes your body a minimum of two hours to absorb the glycogen and get it ready to burn as energy. Giving yourself at least two hours between your meal and running will also reduce the risk of cramping from having a full stomach. 

The Importance of Cardio

We've all heard the phrase "cardio is king." Recently, researchers seem to be making an argument that strength training offers greater health and fitness gains than steady-state cardio workouts.

One study showed that a 20-minute interval strength-training workout burned 15 calories per minute, on average. Compared to a long run, that's almost twice the calories. And in a Harvard 2015 obesity study, researchers found that men who strength trained gained less belly fat than those who spent the same time doing cardio workouts over the course of 12 years.

This is because strength training workouts build muscle during your workout but continue to burn calories after leaving the gym and continuing to strengthen your heart. Steady-state cardio work burns calories from both fat and muscle. 

Lifting weight is without a question incredibly important for overall health. If you can do only one thing, then lift.

You Still Need Cardio

Cardio workouts, including swimming, cycling, or running, make your heart and lungs work harder and faster than strength training, which forces them to become stronger and more efficient than if you did only strength training.

Cardiovascular exercise is definitely the most important kind of exercise for cardiometabolic health.

Moreover, performing both cardio and strength workouts offers the most benefits for weight loss. You'll get a major calorie burn from cardio and improve your metabolic rate from strength training.

If you consider the treadmill more of a dreadmill, rest assured cardio workouts will benefit your strength training, too. A stronger heart and lungs will help ensure better gains in muscle and strength. Cardio will increase your capillary and mitochondrial density, or your body's ability to better fuel your muscles. 

Following every strength workout, your lungs, heart, and vasculature (all of which are strengthened through cardio workouts) help your body recover, replenishing energy levels and delivering amino acids, oxygen, and nutrients to your muscles to promote healing and build strength.

Finding the Right Balance between Strength and Cardio

It's ideal to get some cardio daily, even if it's just a 15-minute walk. Just move. It doesn't have to be a marathon or even two miles. Just be sure to move every day. Above that, your fitness goals will help determine how much cardio and weight training you need. If you're a runner, be sure to strength train to avoid injury. If you prefer strength training and just want to run to the squat rack and no more, simply work for that 10 minutes of cardio a day. Consider it your warm-up (or cool down) from your weight training.