Jogging in moderation

2/13/15 – We all know that regular physical activity is good for your health. Be careful, however, not to overdo it, at the risk of altering your life expectancy. This is what a Danish study carried out on more than 5,000 people over twelve years reveals. The results showed that intensive jogging is linked to a higher risk of mortality than that of an average jogger.

A study¹ carried out as part of the Copenhagen City Heart Study on 1,098 joggers and 3,950 healthy sedentary people once again raised the issue of excessively high intensity sport and its effects on health. Scientists have focused their research on the consequences of the pace, amount and frequency of jogging. They observed these 5,048 subjects for twelve years and came to the conclusion that those who jogged intensively had as much risk of mortality as those who were sedentary. As for light and medium joggers, who ran between 1 and 2.4 hours per week, they are associated with lower mortality. The optimal frequency of exercise would be two to three times a week, at a pace of 8 km / h. The study found that “People who are physically active have a 30% lower risk of dying prematurely compared to those who are inactive. However, the ideal dose of exercise to improve longevity is uncertain ”. There is therefore a U-shaped relationship between mortality from any cause and the modalities of jogging, evaluated according to its pace, quantity and frequency. Joggers who engaged in light or moderately intense exercise were exposed to significantly less mortality than sedentary ones, while those who engaged in intensive jogging were no different from the latter.

Results that confirm previously published studies

In 2012, Swedish researchers² found that people who regularly and moderately run gain an average of five to six years of life expectancy. They even added that endurance athletes, who participated in intense marathons, were five times more likely to develop atrial fibrillation.
There is therefore no question here of stopping sport, but of practicing it in a reasoned manner, that is to say at an average pace and several times a week. Regular physical activity is strongly recommended to keep your body healthy.