18.08.20 Research Review: Running Vesus Walking

This article presents the main findings from a research review published in the New Scientist Journal in March 2020. The review looked at a variety of large, worldwide, exercise studies and answered a lot of questions that we've been asked over the years as physios as well as some that we've wondered about ourselves as keen advocates of running for exercise and health

Which is best for your health?

At first glance, compared with walkers, it seemed that runners had the upper hand.

Research from January 2020 looked at 138 first-time marathon runners and found that training for and completing the 26 mile race even slowly, was equal to a four year reduction in cardiovascular age – and even more if you were older and less fit to begin with.

From other large studies (16000 walkers and 33000 runners) - runners had a 38% lower risk or high blood pressure and 71% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

However when they controlled for energy and weight differences between the groups the benefits were comparable.

Good News for Couch Potatoes and Beginners

Exercise has a dose related effect – more running is better, though with diminishing returns – the health effects taper off at a certain point (when? some studies found that the health benefits tail off or even reverse when running for more than 4.5 hours /week – but on average the risks from any amount of running were lower than the risks of doing no running at all)

What’s especially interesting is that the largest gains are when you go from nothing to something.

The biggest health benefits are observed with just a little running per week - less than 60 minutes. This is an amount that would fit into most peoples’ schedules.

What about the Wear and Tear effects of Running?

Many people worry that running puts excessive forces through your hips and knees causing them to wear out. What good is an improved cardiovascular system if you’ve worn out your knees in the process?

A big 2017 study (125000 people) looked at this and found that 3.5% recreational runners had OA in the hip or knee compared with 10% of sedentary non-runners.

Reports from the National Walkers’ and National Runners’ Health Studies (large US Groups) found that more running or walking actually reduced the risk of osteoarthritis and the need for hip replacements – it didn’t matter if you walked briskly or ran slowly – this type of exercise activates all kinds of repair and maintenance mechanisms.

This was surprising – running leading to wearing out your joints is a myth for most people and at most levels of running.

Even for a Marathon Runner?

What about the wear and tear effects of running an actual marathon?

A London based surgeon investigated this in 2012. He did before and after MRI scans of the knees of 82 new marathon runners who were over 40 years of age and had not run this distance before. He was surprised to find that their knees actually became stronger as a result of their running.

BUT- it is possible to overdo it– in one study, 13% of elite runners who had taken part in International Competitions had arthritis – so there is a sweet spot between protection and overuse.

What about Injuries?

The answer to this question isn’t really surprising - when it comes to injuries, walking beats running hands down. A Spanish study (14000 people) found that walking resulted in 40% less injuries than running for equal energy expended.

Novice runners were twice as prone to injury as more experienced runners which shows how important it is to prepare well if you plan to take up running. The right footwear, a gradual build-up, mixed activity training including strength work and incorporating rest periods into your training schedule all help to reduce the risk of injury.

Which is Best for Weight Loss?

Runners tend to weigh less than walkers which might be due to choice of exercise but some large US studies have suggested that running helps shed excess pounds – reductions in body mass index were significantly greater from running than from walking, even when these activities were controlled for energy expenditure. This could be due to greater and longer-lasting increases in metabolic rate after more intense exercise.

So the take home message? Running is great for your health if you are time strapped for your dose of exercise and running also probably has the edge for weight loss. But if you have more time on your hands and are after a more general health benefit with less risk of injury, walking is a great option - as long as you are moving at a moderate pace.

Which Exercise is Best? The author of this review had the answer to this one as well: it’s the one that you actually do!

Helen Skehan is Practice Principal of Physio Solutions - she is a keen advocate of exercise as a superdrug for all. She has recently restarted running and is currently doing the PHE Couch to 5k programme available for Android or Apple devices

François Armengaud is the Physio Solutions' Team Running Expert being an experienced distance and Ultramarathon runner with a special interest in running-related injuries and training

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