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

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).

Let’s Talk about Moving: The Impact of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Exercise, Steps and Sitting on Cardiovascular Risk

“…Regardless of the CVD prevention entry point ( i.e. , primordial to secondary), increasing physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a primary objective [1-3] .…”

“…For example, Lavie et al. [3] recently reviewed the risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality according to running behaviors ( i.e. , minutes, distance and frequency per week) divided into quintiles.…”

Survival of the Fittest—Promoting Fitness Throughout the Life Span

“…First, CRF significantly modulates CVD risk associated with dyslipidemia. Second, accumulating 7 to 14 miles per week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as running, [14][15][16] can potentially lower the risk associated with increased TG:HDL-C levels as reported by the current study. Finally, CRF must be considered by health care professionals when CVD risk is assigned to patients.…”

“…As is widely accepted, CRF is known to be protective in many groups of high-risk patients, including those with obesity, hypertension, MetSyn, pre-DM, or type 2 DM and in patients at high risk due to psychological distress, who typically do better than do unfit individuals without these conditions. 1,[13][14][15] The findings of Farrell et al 9 support a clinically important concept that CVD risk increases progressively with increases in TG:HDL-C ratio, as they show in Table 3 in their article. However, when the interaction between CRF and TG:HDL-C ratio was considered, the risk was substantially lower for the moderately and highly fit individuals regardless of TG:HDL-C levels.…”

Sports genetics moving forward: lessons learned from medical research

“…This thought is supported by findings that elite athletes live longer than the general population and also that endurance athletes live longer than strength/power athletes (18,55). Even though physical exercise is beneficial for overall health, it is not necessarily so that the training of elite athletes is the most beneficial (42).…”