Keep running, stay well
30/05/2007
People who maintain a vigorously active lifestyle as they age gain less weight than people who exercise at more moderate levels, according to a first-of-its-kind study that tracked a large group of runners who kept the same exercise regimen as they grew older.
The study also found that maintaining exercise with age is particularly effective in preventing extreme weight gain, which is associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other diseases.
The study, conducted by Paul Williams of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory followed 6,119 men and 2,221 women who maintained their weekly running mileage (to within three miles per week) over a seven-year period. On average, the men and women who ran over 30 miles per week gained half the weight of those who ran less than 15 miles per week.
“To my knowledge, this is the only study of its type,” says Williams. “Other studies have tracked exercise over time, but the majority of people will have changed their exercise habits considerably.” The research is the latest report from the National Runners' Health Study, a 20-year research initiative started by Williams that includes more than 120,000 runners. It appears in the May 3rd issue of the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
“As these runners aged, the benefits of exercise were not in the changes they saw in their bodies, but how they didn’t change like the people around them,” says Williams. Although growing older and gaining weight is something of a package deal, it isn’t the same in everyone. The lucky few remain lean as they age, most people pack on several pounds, and some people become obese. The latter group is particularly at risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes." Fortunately, Williams’ results show that maintaining exercise can combat such extreme weight gain.
“Getting people to commit to a vigorously active lifestyle while young and lean will go a long way to reducing the obesity epidemic in this country,” says Williams. “The time to think about exercise is before you think you need it. The medical journals are full of reports on how difficult it is to regain the slenderness of youth. The real trick is not to get fat.”
Williams’ research was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The paper in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise is entitled "Maintaining Vigorous Activity Attenuates 7-yr Weight Gain in 8,340 Runners".
More information on this and related research can be found at the website linked below.