Excessive and high-intensity running may also cause joint problems
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▲ Image source: The conclusion drawn by the Journal of Orthopedics and Exercise Physical Therapy that fitness running is beneficial for knee health comes from a meta-analysis in this issue – “Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: The Relationship between Fitness Running, Competitive Running, and Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis”.
Meta analysis refers to the systematic, scientific, and comprehensive evaluation of many research papers on the same issue by scientists, removing those studies that are not of high quality or do not meet the conditions, and then integrating and evaluating those high-quality studies using certain statistical methods to ultimately draw scientific conclusions and recommendations.
10.2% of people who prefer to sit for long periods or do not run have arthritis in their knees or hips.
Whether frequent running can easily lead to arthritis has always been controversial.
The Journal of Orthopedics and Exercise Physical Therapy pointed out that the incidence of arthritis in competitive runners is 13.3%, while the incidence of arthritis in sedentary individuals is 10.2%, while the incidence of arthritis in fitness runners is only 3.5%.
Research has found that only 3.5% of fitness runners have arthritis in their knees or hips, regardless of gender.
This study was conducted by a research team composed of researchers from the United States, Canada, Spain, and Switzerland.
Researchers have pointed out that long-term fitness running -10 years, 15 years, or even longer – is a healthy exercise that is beneficial for the health of the knees and hips.
Out of 25 studies with a total of 1258100 people, 17 studies with a total of 114829 people were selected for meta-analysis.
People who sit for a long time or do not run will have an increased risk of knee and hip arthritis.
The incidence of knee or hip arthritis among those who participate in competitive running (including athletes who frequently participate in competitive competitions and have a professional level) is slightly higher than that of the general population, but not particularly high, at 13.3%.
There has always been a saying that ‘running with a hundred benefits only damages the knee’.
Excessive and high-intensity running may cause joint problems, but for regular fitness runners, running is beneficial for joint health.
However, the internationally renowned medical authoritative journal, the Journal of Orthopaedic&Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT), put an end to this controversial topic in its June 2017 issue.