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Myth or Fact: Running will destroy your knees
by Dr. Doug Segan
September 18th, 2009

Exercise is one of the foundations for staying healthy. For many of us, running is our exercise of choice. If you have ever worried that your running will cause long term damage to your knees, Doug had good news from two recent medical studies that should put those fears to rest.

If you are a runner or are considering starting a running program, you may have wondered if running will result in knee arthritis years from now. Perhaps you have been heading out the door for your run when your significant other called from the couch, "Keep running and you will destroy your knees!"

Thankfully, you can now respond to your anti-running sweetheart that two recent studies suggest that runners are not ruining their knees when they run.

A study from Stanford University in 2008 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine followed middle aged long distance runners and an age-matched group of non-runners. After nearly 2 decades of study they were able to conclude that long distance running was not associated with increased osteoarthritis.

Last year, the journal Skeletal Radiology published a study from Austria that used MRIs to study the knees of marathon runners over a 10 year interval. They reported that in individuals without preexiting knee damage, long distance running did "not cause any permanent damage to the internal structures of the knee joint."

These two studies are reassuring news to runners. If you are running now, continuing to run will not destroy your knees. The studies do not answer the question of how to weigh the risks and benefits of running for someone with preexisting knee problems.

I have been lucky enough to complete six marathons in recent years (at a slow pace). I have a few suggestions that make intuitive sense to me but they are not backed by any science. First, if you are new to running, obtain your first pair of running shoes with the help of an expert at a respected running store. I am a believer in frequent walking breaks during your runs. If possible, do some or all of your running on more forgiving surfaces than pavement (such as a treadmill, track or dirt trail.) Incorporate a variety of forms of exercise into your program and consider running every other day to reduce your chances of an overuse injury.

Bottom line: If you are a runner, there is now good evidence that continuing to do what you love will not harm your knees.

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My friend Doug Segan is an emergency medicine physician. He is keeping an eye on the current medical literature and will share with us brief summaries of the most intriguing studies that impact the areas of fitness, nutriton and staying youthful.