A recent Spanish study found that endurance running can be beneficial for your bone health.
Researchers from Camilo José Cela University (UCJC) in Madrid, Spain, found that training for endurance races, from 10 km to marathons, can have a positive effect on calcaneus bone stiffness.
The researchers found that both male and female endurance runners had greater calcaneus bone stiffness — and therefore denser bones — than individuals in the sedentary group.
Also, the amount of training was also positively associated with bone density, with those who trained more showing an even greater improvement in the bone mineral density of the calcaneus.
Although in healthy individuals, factors such as sex, age, race and diet all help to determine bone density, it can be improved by lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, especially exercises that involve weight-bearing or high impacts, such as jumping.
According to the study’s lead author, Beatriz Lara: “Sports such as swimming or skating, in which body weight or impact loading are reduced, do not generate high osteogenic benefits. Nevertheless, the effect that endurance running training may have on our bones is not yet known — while it does not entail high impacts, it does require running long distances.”
The researchers believe that endurance training is an effective way to prevent the progressive decline in bone mineral density that occurs with age.
The research was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology.
S.O.Z