How Running Impacts the Knee

Finance professional Jahanara Nissar works as a managing partner at Lynx Equity Strategies in New York. In this position, she broadened relationships with prospective institutional institutions. In her free time, Jahanara Nissar enjoys reading and running.

Running is a popular physical activity enjoyed by people around the globe. However, there is a popular misconception that running wrecks the knees. This belief is held because the knees absorb a significant amount of shock during a run, adversely impacting the cartilage. However, various studies have found that this is not the case.

A new study on the effects of running and walking on the knee joint showed that, while running puts more strain on the knees than walking, it can also strengthen and bulk up the cartilage.

Further, researchers discovered that running could reduce an individual's chances of developing arthritis later. This is because the compression of the knees while running supplies more fluid to the joints, keeping them lubricated. A study was conducted for over 18 years involving a group of long-distance runners and a non-runner control group.

During this time, the researchers took a series of X-rays to check for osteoarthritis in the knees. The study revealed no connection between running in healthy older persons and a prevalence of osteoarthritis. The study further revealed that only 20 percent of runners have indications of osteoarthritis compared to 32 percent of non-runners.