Crush this myth for me please

[sammy]

Running on a treadmill everyday will cause you to have joint problems in your knees/ankles/legs when you get older...True?
I want to start cardio but I heard runners who run on pavement/grass develop problems as they get older. Should I just swim?

[grrthetree]

If all you do is running, then yes you will have problems. When you run you're just force tons of impact on your knees and ankles, and the harder the surface, the greater the impact. If all you did was running you could easily get runners knee. If you do strength training along with running, your tendons and other tissue become stronger and the chance of getting injured is less.

Long story short, you need to vary your training, and not just run on a treadmill everyday.

[ralphus1]

Doc tells me running on a treadmill provides more support than running on concrete. But either way, you'll probably still feel it in your knees and feet at some point.

[Jodocus_Quak]

I got knee problems from running (cartilage). Stopped it and am now using the elliptical in the gym. While I like running much more, I don't want to have a new knee when I turn 35.

[Standard]

False.

Is running associated with degenerative joint disease?
R. S. Panush, C. Schmidt, J. R. Caldwell, N. L. Edwards, S. Longley, R. Yonker, E. Webster, J. Nauman, J. Stork and H. Pettersson


Little information is available regarding the long-term effects, if any, of running on the musculoskeletal system. We therefore compared the prevalence of degenerative joint disease among 17 male runners (mean age, 56 years; height, 180 cm [5 ft 11 in]; and weight, 73.02 kg [161 lb] with 18 male nonrunners (mean age, 60 years; height, 178 cm [5 ft 10 in]; and weight, 78 kg [171 lb]). Running subjects (53% marathoners) ran a mean of 44.8 km (28 miles)/wk for 12 years. Pain and swelling of hips, knees, ankles, and feet and other musculoskeletal complaints among runners were comparable with those among nonrunners. Radiologic examinations (for osteophytes, cartilage thickness, and grade of degeneration) also were without notable differences among groups. We did not find an increased prevalence of osteoarthritis among the runners. Our observations suggest, within the limits of our study, that long-duration, high-mileage running need not be associated with premature degenerative joint disease in the lower extremities.

now go run

[EyeNeyE**]

Originally Posted by Standard

False.



now go run

yayyyy!

good answer. thanks