Any amount of running linked to significantly lower risk of early death

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Substantial improvements in population health/longevity

likely if more people took it up, say researchers

November 4, 2019

British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Any amount of running is linked to a significantly lower risk

of death from any cause, finds a pooled analysis

of the available evidence, published online in the

British Journal of Sports Medicine.

If more people took up running -- and they wouldn't have to run far or

fast -- there would likely be substantial improvements in population health and

longevity, conclude the researchers.

It's not clear how good running is for staving off the risk of death from

any cause and particularly from cardiovascular disease and cancer,

say the researchers.

Nor is it clear how much running a person needs to do to reap

these potential benefits, nor whether upping the frequency,

duration, and pace -- in other words, increasing the 'dose' --

might be even more advantageous.

To try and find out, the researchers systematically reviewed relevant

published research, conference presentations, and doctoral theses

and dissertations in a broad range of academic databases.

They looked for studies on the association between running/jogging

and the risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

They found 14 suitable studies, involving 232,149 people,

whose health had been tracked for between 5.5 and 35 years.

During this time, 25,951 of the study participants died.

When the study data were pooled, any amount of running was

associated with a 27% lower risk of death from all causes

for both sexes, compared with no running.

And it was associated with a 30% lower risk of death

from cardiovascular disease, and a 23% lower risk of death from cancer.

Even small 'doses' -- for example, once weekly or less, lasting

less than 50 minutes each time, and at a speed below

6 miles (8 km) an hour, still seemed to be associated

with significant health/longevity benefits.

So running for 25 minutes less than the recommended weekly

duration of vigorous physical activity could reduce the risk of death.

This makes running a potentially good option for those whose main

obstacle to doing enough exercise is lack of time, suggest the researchers.

But upping 'the dose' wasn't associated with a further lowering

of the risk of death from any cause, the analysis showed.

Nevertheless, they suggest that any amount of running is

better than none, concluding: "Increased rates of participation in

running, regardless of its dose, would probably lead to

substantial improvements in population health and longevity."

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