THREE reasons why running could be harming you

We like to think that going for a run gives us credit in the game of life, but it could be doing you more harm than good.

We’re told that we can abuse almost anything in life, from alcohol to painkillers and even caffeine.

But when people talk about addiction to exercise, it tends to be tongue-in-cheek.

After all, how can you abuse something that’s linked to improved metabolism and a reduction in stress?

In the case of jogging, the science goes as far as suggesting that it combats the effects of ageing.

But the truth is that you can have too much of a good thing, and jogging is no exception. Research shows that the damage jogging causes can be potentially crippling – especially for the inexperienced, who eagerly attack pavements in January, fuelled by a raft of well-intentioned new year resolutions.

Now, before runners up and down the country take to their keyboards in protest, it should be noted that, in general, the benefits of running outweigh the risks. It’s not my intention to start an anti-jogging campaign. But you should always keep in mind the pitfalls of excessive pavement pounding.

1. Your immune system isn’t immune to tiredness

A good example of the ‘too much of a good thing can be a bad thing’ mantra is the way our immune systems react to jogging.

According to research, “Moderate exercise is associated with a reduced incidence of infection”. In other words, gentle jogging may help ward off those pesky winter colds by stimulating the body’s immune system.

However, the study also states that “prolonged bouts of strenuous exercise cause a temporary depression of various aspects of immune function”.

So, while a short or gentle jog can help your body fend for itself, heavy exercise brings about a temporary depression of the immune system, leaving you vulnerable to bacterial attacks. Another study shows that this depression could last up until 24 hours, depending on your body and the duration of exercise.

For this very reason, anyone who swings into full new year resolution mania and starts training four times a week as soon as 2015 kicks into gear could actually do themselves more harm than good. They would be better served by gradually increasing the amount of running they do every week, which would allow the body to slowly adapt to its new regime.

Nutrition is also key. If you’re undergoing periods of immune system downtime, you want to have the right intake of vitamins to make sure that your body is functioning on the best fuel available.

2. The trouble with testosterone

As well as suppressing the immune system, those lengthy, well-intentioned runs could be hormonally hindering you too.

Scientists who looked at the testosterone levels of male long distance runners found that they were significantly lower than those of a control group. Low testosterone can lead to a lack of sex drive, slow muscle recovery, and a lack of energy.

Unless you’re specifically training for an endurance-based sport, those hour-long runs might not be as good for your well-being as you first thought.

The key is to train smart, not hard.

For example, if your goal is to lose fat in the new year, pay attention to research from the Laval University in Québec, Canada, where scientists discovered the benefits of high intensity training over a short period were much greater. According to the research, hill sprints or fast-paced treadmill running “favours a lesser body fat deposition which might be related to an increase in post-exercise energy metabolism.”

This means your metabolism and ability to burn fat remains high even after you’ve taken off your shoes and put your feet up in front of the fire.

3. Knee-jerk reactions

Running is a skill we learn at a very young age – but many experts argue that very few people actually do it properly.

The high incidence of injury in recreational joggers is a result of battling through biomechanical inefficiencies and ignoring faulty movement patterns that could be crippling their joints and muscles.

Runner’s knee, a common complaint is due in general to unaddressed biomechanical flaws in their running style. Ill-fitting footwear and hard running surfaces can also rattle the knee joint, causing it potential damage that can manifest itself either immediately or later in life.