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Too Much Exercise May Not Be Better Than a Sedentary Lifestyle

jones_supa writes: The importance of exercise has been arriving in spades for geek culture. However, when approaching extremes, a point is reached where vigorous jogging erodes some of the benefits light jogging has over a sedentary lifestyle. "Long-term excessive exercise may be associated with coronary artery calcification, diastolic dysfunction and large artery wall stiffening," wrote lead author Peter Schnohr of Copenhagen's Frederiksberg Hospital in a Danish study (abstract). Although previous research has found that physically active people have at least a 30% lower risk of death compared with inactive people, the ideal amount of exercise remains somewhat uncertain. In this study, strenuous joggers — people who ran faster than 11 km/h for more than 4 hours a week; or who ran faster than 11 km/h for more than 2.5 hours a week with a frequency of more than three times a week — had a mortality rate that is not statistically different from that of the sedentary group. Medical journalist Larry Husten notes that this study, while interesting, should not be taken as the final word on the subject.

200 comments

  1. The biggest failure of science: by netsavior · · Score: 5, Funny

    Everything ever about diet and exercise.

    I guess we need to rehash this?

    1. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Here is what they do:
      1) Set up some null hypothesis of zero correlation between jogging and health, diet and health, etc (probably at least five per study).
      2) Measure things until one of the outcomes reaches "statistical significance".
      3) Misinterpret this statistical significance to be the probability their theory is true: jogging really does affect health.

      Where is the science in that? Do not blame science.

    2. Re:The biggest failure of science: by netsavior · · Score: 2

      I agree, I was referring to this article a day ago http://science.slashdot.org/st...

    3. Re:The biggest failure of science: by iMadeGhostzilla · · Score: 2

      I imagine that people who run that much don't do it because science says exercise is good (as if we needed science to know that), they probably enjoy it. My guess is that people who only mildly enjoy running or not much at all but do it because they believe it's good for you are unlikely to run that much.

      And btw Science is such a wide umbrella of institutions, organizations and body of knowledge that it makes little sense to talk about it in general. People running particle accelerators and social scientists making phone calls randomly and asking questions are very different beasts.

    4. Re:The biggest failure of science: by blue9steel · · Score: 4, Informative

      Being obese is really bad for you, previously they showed that exercising was better than being fat. The new study just shows that lots of jogging in particular isn't necessarily better than being sedentary but normal sized. When you dig into the latest research this is obvious because steady state cardio with durations over 30 minutes and greater than 50% VO2 Max produces an unfavorable free testosterone to cortisol ratio. Exercise is still better than no exercise, just now we have yet another confirmation that some types are better than others. In this case, either do HIIT, keep your jogging under 30 minutes per session or substitute long walks instead. (assuming you want to stick with the same basic modality)

    5. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Runners High... It's like Heroin. They are no different than junkies.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    6. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nonsense.

      All science has ever said about diet and exercise is. "Reduce calorie consumption and exercise to, statistically, remain more healthy."

      Everything else is people saying science-sounding bullshit in an attempt to sell you something.

      Calories in Calories out - You can't cheat the laws of thermodynamics. Reductionist you say? Evolution is the biggest, meanest, most reductionist force you can imagine and it bitchslapped your notions of "proper" diet many millennia before your ancestors crawled out of the water.

      We're equipped with a fiendishly efficient digestion system that converts 92% of digestible food energy in to stored energy. Up until about 100 years ago caloric intake was the uncontested primary metric of survival for the average human. That single motivator has shaped our metabolism more than anything else since the dawn of life itself.

      The human body doesn't give a wet shit about what you think you should be eating. Maybe, maybe you can influence how much energy your body absorbs by 2-8% by choosing your foods carefully but you're working against countless millions of years of evolution that drives you to stuff your craw with as much energy as you can get, at all costs.

      Get up. Move. Work. Suffer. It's supposed to be painful and you must come to terms with that. If it doesn't hurt, you aren't' exercising hard enough. (Discomfort avoidance is what will kill us in the end. Mark my words)

      Once you start to build muscle and become fit you can deal with the diet. Almost paradoxically, with fitness and regular exercise your body starts craving food less.

    7. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NwHNHNXsg0

      Couldn't resist.

    8. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You know, that isn't much running actually. Fortunately, when I run, I am below that 11 KM/h threshold - I run at 10.3 km/h (6.4 mp/h). But I easily do 4 hours per week - usually one hour at a time, 4 days a week. It isn't all that much really. And no, I do NOT enjoy it. I HATE it. I do it on a treadmill at an incline of 3.5% and watch webcasts while I do it. Running sucks. I only do it for health and weight maintenance. I'd much prefer to just sit on the couch.

    9. Re:The biggest failure of science: by buchner.johannes · · Score: 2

      Here is what they do:
      1) Set up some null hypothesis of zero correlation between jogging and health, diet and health, etc (probably at least five per study).
      2) Measure things until one of the outcomes reaches "statistical significance".
      3) Misinterpret this statistical significance to be the probability their theory is true: jogging really does affect health.

      Where is the science in that? Do not blame science.

      And do not state the size of the effect.

      Here is a nice article about exactly this, titled Mindless statistics

      --
      NB: The message above might reflect my opinion right now, but not necessarily tomorrow or next year.
    10. Re:The biggest failure of science: by envelope · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You'd probably like it better if you didn't do it on a treadmill. Get outside! It's much more enjoyable than a treadmill.

      --

      appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars
    11. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What is the caloric content of poop? You have an extremely simple and naive view of what "calories" mean. Do you think the human body is just a little furnace with simple-minded fire in it?

      Different people will get different calories out of the same food.

      Duh. If this is a problem for you, I wager you're an engineer. IOW, too simple-minded for complexity.

    12. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Jeremi · · Score: 5, Funny

      Runners High... It's like Heroin. They are no different than junkies.

      They don't steal your television to fund their habit, so that's one difference.

      --


      I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
    13. Re:The biggest failure of science: by starless · · Score: 1

      And do not state the size of the effect.

      Well, they do quote the size of the effect in the abstract. And the results clearly have no statistical "power".
      This is part of the abstract. HR = hazard ratio. i.e. the relative ratio of dying for the joggers compared to the non-joggers.
      And CI is a confidence interval. e.g. For the light joggers they can say with 95% statistical certainty that the risk of dying was
      between 10% and 47% of the non-joggers.

      The lowest HR for mortality was found in light joggers (HR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.47), followed by moderate joggers (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.32 to 1.38) and strenuous joggers (HR: 1.97; 95% CI: 0.48 to 8.14).

      But see that for the strenuous joggers the range can be anywhere between 50% of the non-joggers death rate to 8x the death rate.
      So, really nothing at all can be said about anything apart from either the light joggers, or considering all joggers together.
      For those groups there is a benefit at the 95% confidence level.
      (And, as a physicist, I don't really consider any result to be worth much at such a low level.)

    14. Re:The biggest failure of science: by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 5, Funny

      Have you seen the price of running shoes?

    15. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would also recommend:
      Meehl, Paul E. (1967). "Theory-Testing in Psychology and Physics: A Methodological Paradox". Philosophy of Science 34 (2): 103–115. doi:10.1086/288135
      http://mres.gmu.edu/pmwiki/uploads/Main/Meehl1967.pdf

      In that paper, Meehl explains the problems that arise if you do not come up with theories that make precise predictions, as is done in physics. The ultimate goal should then be to gather enough detailed information to accomplish that. People really need to ask if this null hypothesis strategy is even capable, let alone the optimal method, of achieving this.

      For example, the argument has be made that just knowing whether an effect is positive/negative is insufficient to ever lead to a substantive theory. Since we need the effect sizes to determine the "statistical significance" anyway, what is the purpose of it? What beneficial role does it play?
      http://www.johnmyleswhite.com/notebook/2012/05/18/criticism-4-of-nhst-no-mechanism-for-producing-substantive-cumulative-knowledge/

    16. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      social scientists making phone calls randomly and asking questions

      It gets really quite ridiculous. For example, giving college students candy to come in a room that smells like farts, then asking them how OK it is (scale of 1:5) for someone to rub their genitals on a cat. The purpose was to learn about the relationship between moral and physical purity.

    17. Re:The biggest failure of science: by netsavior · · Score: 1

      What is the caloric content of poop?

      This question alone should be enough to shut down every single "conventional" conversation about diet and exercise.

      Otherwise we are just talking about perfectly spherical cows.

    18. Re:The biggest failure of science: by jgtg32a · · Score: 4, Funny

      It's February

    19. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 1
      Being obese is really bad for you

      This is true, but misleading.

      For men, it is true that the optimum weight/BMI* is "normal" and any increase is bad.

      For women, health outcome steadily improves with weight until an extra pound tips you into "obese". That extra pound is associated with a severely adverse health expectancy. Ie it is not the weight that causes the illness, it is being labelled "obese" that is the cause of problems.

      *BMI is rubbish anyway: BMI fails to take into account that muscle is denser than fat. Most professional sports people of either sex have BMIs which a lot of the medical profession would claim lead to instant death.

      "Trust me - I'm a doctor" is often in the same league as "trust me, I am a mafioso".

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
    20. Re:The biggest failure of science: by beelsebob · · Score: 1

      For men, it is true that the optimum weight/BMI* is "normal" and any increase is bad.

      Actually no, overweight is the optimum. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pu...

      People who are overweight are 0.94 times as likely to die as people who have normal weight. People who are slightly obese are 0.95 times as likely to die as people who have normal weight. People who are very obese are 1.29 and 1.41 times as likely to die as normal weight. Basically - being really heavy is very bad. Being a little on the chubby side is not.

    21. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *BMI is rubbish when the operator does not take into account that muscle is denser than fat. The test was designed back when those whose Weight/Height squared gave an answer between 20 to 25 did not need to be tested for insurance purposes whereas those who scored lower or higher needed a medical test to see what the reason was. These days more top class athletes will score higher than 25 than when the test was devised which means when they are called in and seen to be an athlete and not a salad dodger they do not get sent a letter telling them that they are overweight.

      I guess back then insurance companies and medical professionals were more competent.

    22. Re:The biggest failure of science: by blue9steel · · Score: 1

      I never said a word about BMI, that was your idea. I wasn't talking about carrying an extra pound or two, but people who are significantly overweight. Very Fat = Bad Health Outcomes

    23. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bullshit. They are all 100% likely to die.

    24. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The height of summer for half the world (geographically) ...perfect running weather

    25. Re: The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Which half! I'm in Perth and run. Last week the temperature ranged from 21 (minimum) to 40 degrees. I did one run between midnight and 2am in the mid to high 20s and another at 8pm when it was 30 degrees.

      Half? Assuming you cannot run on water and you can't easily get to Antarctica... and discounting the hot bits there is much less.

      Hear+Running fast => serious health risk (no references or science to back this comment up but there's a good chance someone could find some)

      Wil

    26. Re:The biggest failure of science: by antdude · · Score: 1

      Which hemisphere? ;)

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    27. Re:The biggest failure of science: by someoneOtherThanMe · · Score: 1

      10.3 km/h on a 3.5% incline is cardiovascularly equivalent to running much faster on level ground. So no, you're not below that threshold. But it is easier on your knees & stuff.

    28. Re:The biggest failure of science: by delt0r · · Score: 1

      dude there hasn't been money in televisions for years. These days its about syphoning your gas tank. It is about the only thing you can fence for any money at all.

      --
      If information wants to be free, why does my internet connection cost so much?
    29. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Runner here. I ran yesterday morning, 20-ish degrees F, 5-10mph wind (windchill was around 15). I was comfortable the first mile and a little too hot the next 6...its all about what you wear.

    30. Re:The biggest failure of science: by Optali · · Score: 1

      Dreadmills kill your braincells. Makes you feel like a hamster.

      I ran yesterday on one and I am starting to store my lunch in my cheeks.

      --
      -- 29A the number of the Beast
  2. Jogging sucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Lift weights

    1. Re:Jogging sucks by x_t0ken_407 · · Score: 1

      Yes, something that I do. Found it funny that the title is "Too much exercise...", then goes on to cite a study about pretty specific types of JOGGING. Sensationalism?

    2. Re:Jogging sucks by Jeremi · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Lift weights

      Lifting weights is incredibly boring. Ride your bike :)

      --


      I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
    3. Re:Jogging sucks by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 0

      Yep! 12 oz. curls are most effective!

      Actually, the ancient Greeks recommended "everything . . . in moderation". Which seems to be sound advice here, instead of jogging yourself to death. Is anyone here old enough to remember who Jim Fixx was?

      At any rate, the modern Greeks seem to have forgotten to remember that old advice, with regards to debt.

      The world never ceases to amuse me.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    4. Re:Jogging sucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I said that for years, but they opened up a small gym where I work and one of the guys here dragged me into weights.

      Something about it is addictive. I think it's because you do actually see real progress on a regular enough basis for actually accomplishing something to not just be a distance theoretical concept (as is the case with say weight loss).

    5. Re:Jogging sucks by Dogtanian · · Score: 5, Funny

      Lifting weights is incredibly boring. Ride your bike :)

      Jaws was never your scene, and you don't like Star Wars then?

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    6. Re:Jogging sucks by Jahoda · · Score: 1

      You really needs to be coupling basic weight training with your cardio. I'm not saying you have to go nuts with it, but you really want to be doing light workout with weights before your rides. I used to think that because I only cycled I was fine. But once I incorporated some basic lifting, I was amazed at how much better I felt, how much more *functional* my body felt doing basic lift/reach/grab tasks, in addition to how much more productive my rides seemed to become. Also, it's going to stimulate your body to start burning that fat, which I suspect many of us nearly middle-aged IT guys need help with. And - seriously, just so you know: If you want to burn that fat, you have to add muscle. It is as simple as that.

    7. Re:Jogging sucks by guises · · Score: 1

      Come on, he obviously meant a speeder bike. Think: if you're looking to ride a bike and you want something that isn't boring, what bike are you riding?

    8. Re:Jogging sucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lifting weights is incredibly boring. Ride your bike :)

      Jaws was never your scene, and you don't like Star Wars then?

      I preferred the fat bottomed girls.

    9. Re:Jogging sucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good bikes are expensive, jog instead

    10. Re:Jogging sucks by Optali · · Score: 1

      Ride a bike while lifting weights!!!

      IN the water!!!

      --
      -- 29A the number of the Beast
  3. Can't Win by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I always kinda expected that. At some point there has to be a transition between increasing the strength of your body and just wearing it out. I imagine this is especially true of things like joints.

    The lesson seems to be that you really can't win doing anything in excess.

    1. Re:Can't Win by Narcocide · · Score: 1

      The real lesson is "don't jog." Ask any +70 year old who has had to have double knee-replacement surgery.

    2. Re:Can't Win by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can prove you wrong with one word: sex.

  4. Woody, is that you? by killfixx · · Score: 2

    I feel like I just stumbled into a screening of The Sleeper.

    --
    "Helping to keep you two steps ahead of the Thought Police!"
  5. Ummm .... duh? by gstoddart · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Who hasn't seen some of these joggers who do it obsessively?

    I've seen a bunch of people who look skinny and emaciated from being jogging freaks. At a certain point you look like you're ill -- and quite disturbingly so.

    Hell, back when I used to go to the gym there used to be one lady on the treadmill ... she stayed on it for hours, and essentially looked terrible to the point it looked like she could probably use some therapy ... she looked anorexic.

    That's not healthy, that's obsessive.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    1. Re:Ummm .... duh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Why didn't you do your civic duty as a bro and teach that one lady how to deadlift?

    2. Re:Ummm .... duh? by thoriumbr · · Score: 2

      That's called addiction...

      Exercising increases the release of endorphin on the brain, and some people got addicted to it.

      The expression adrenaline junkie is to be taken literally sometimes.

    3. Re:Ummm .... duh? by dcw3 · · Score: 1

      Um, addicted? No.

      --
      Just another day in Paradise
    4. Re:Ummm .... duh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If they look skinny and emaciated then they're doing it wrong. Regardless of how much jogging or other exercise you do, if you're eating correctly, you won't be skinny and emaciated.

    5. Re:Ummm .... duh? by Andrio · · Score: 1

      I've seen pictures of marathoners, and I've seen pictures of sprinters.

      I'd sure as hell would rather look like a sprinter.

      --
      The Internet King? I wonder if he could provide faster nudity.
    6. Re:Ummm .... duh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lol, yes, these joggers are the one's who post on facebook everyday. "Just ran 2 miles. #feelinggreat #borntorun #jog4life"

      And of course everyone likes on it, and you're thinking, "Girl, ain't suppose to be a gap between your thighs."

      But really, you know what would be a great additional test case here? Include soccer players. Soccer is a natural game. Resting. Starting stopping. Competing. Mental acuity required. Typically on a natural grass surface. I have no doubt the evidence would be conclusive that exercise is great for you!!!

    7. Re:Ummm .... duh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      this is ridiculous. the best runners are very skinny and very emaciated. and you don't realize how until you are up close. i met a few of the world class kenyan runners a few years ago. they are way smaller than they look on tv. they are basically skeletons with a condom stretched over them.

    8. Re:Ummm .... duh? by quantaman · · Score: 0

      Who hasn't seen some of these joggers who do it obsessively?

      I've seen a bunch of people who look skinny and emaciated from being jogging freaks. At a certain point you look like you're ill -- and quite disturbingly so.

      Hell, back when I used to go to the gym there used to be one lady on the treadmill ... she stayed on it for hours, and essentially looked terrible to the point it looked like she could probably use some therapy ... she looked anorexic.

      I find people who do nothing but weight lift obsessively look ridiculous.

      The appearance problem you perceive isn't too much running, it's running in absence of strength training. And I'm not sure why she needs therapy if she enjoys it and it isn't causing harm.

      That's not healthy, that's obsessive.

      Outside of this very preliminary study what's your evidence for that? They only look ill because you're used to a certain distribution of body fat, if they don't have that distribution it strikes you as odd.

      --
      I stole this Sig
    9. Re:Ummm .... duh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Umm Yes.. People can be addicted to exercise.

    10. Re:Ummm .... duh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think you know the meaning of "emaciated". It means "abnormally thin or weak, especially because of illness or a lack of food." This is arguably the best distance runner in the world, and while there is not a great deal of excess fat on him, he is not in any way emaciated. He is slender and wiry, not thin and emaciated.

    11. Re:Ummm .... duh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Natural Grass Surface? Not anymore, they are all switching to synthetics! They (the football clubs) call it "3G" but it is not made out of old mobile phones. Natural grass is... no more.

    12. Re:Ummm .... duh? by tigersha · · Score: 1

      > I find people who do nothing but weight lift obsessively look ridiculous.

      There is a guy like that in the gym. Me and my buddy calls him "Hulk".

      He DOES usually have some cool chicks hanging with him though...

      --
      The dangers of excessive individualism are nothing compared to the oppressiveness of excessive collectivism
    13. Re:Ummm .... duh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree, I run and train on the elliptical (about 60/40 run/elliptical currently) and hit 40-50 miles a week. I am at a stable & healthy weight, I eat when hungry, etc.

      Talking to some of my female runner friends, there are a significant number of runners that also suffer from eating disorders. Its not running that's a problem (even high mileage running) its *using* running as a means to obsess about weight. That woman the GP refers to probably was 2 lbs heavier than she wanted to be, and by god, was going to run it off!

  6. LOL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    While you were out running yourself to death my moderate exercise and excessive gaming turned out to help me live longer.

    I wonder how it must feel to read this after getting up at the crack of dawn and running for 2 hours in the cold.

    1. Re:LOL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL indeed. i literally woke up at 4:30am this morning and ran for an hour and a half in the freezing winter.
      how do i feel. great. and fool yourself all you want, your "moderate exercise" is pathetic and your excessive gaming will lead to sitting on your ass too much and your early death.

  7. Holy shit by OrangeTide · · Score: 5, Funny

    You mean there is nothing I can do to live forever?!

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    1. Re:Holy shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Actually there is. Well, not forever... but insanely long.

      Reduce your caloric intake by around 70%. Life will suck. You'll be emaciated and feel miserable. But if animal evidence is any guide, you'll live well into your 100's.

    2. Re:Holy shit by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      Actually there is. Well, not forever... but insanely long.

      Reduce your caloric intake by around 70%. Life will suck. You'll be emaciated and feel miserable. But if animal evidence is any guide, you'll live well into your 100's.

      Only if you can be kept in a cage with a little wheel that you can run around on and get fed the same diet of pellets composed of floor scrapings.

      Oh. Wait.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    3. Re:Holy shit by OrangeTide · · Score: 2

      The jury is still out on that one. The studies a still not clear on if reduced caloric intake is effective or if it will work on humans.

      A way to protect or extend your telomeres might be the only vaccine for death.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    4. Re:Holy shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure there is. Don't die.

      It's similar to flying by throwing yourself at the ground and missing.

    5. Re:Holy shit by Immerman · · Score: 1

      Also, if you're male, sterilization before puberty has a fairly dramatic effect as well - castration has been confirmed in both animal models and from old church records of the castrato versus their peers, and radiation-based destruction of the reproductive precursor cells in rats has shown similar effects.

      From what I recall, similar sterilization of females shows a much less conclusive effect.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    6. Re:Holy shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It seems to me that some portion of humans have always wanted to live longer, but frankly, zero ever have. If one ever did (which I doubt ever would happen), they probably would have spent most of the time of their life making it happen. Therefore, enjoy, relax, life is brief.

    7. Re:Holy shit by Qzukk · · Score: 1

      A way to protect or extend your telomeres might be the only vaccine for death.

      HeLa certainly appreciates it.

      --
      If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
    8. Re:Holy shit by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yes, drink massive amounts of coffee.

      Coffee makes you live forever.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    9. Re:Holy shit by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      Nah, if you live that healthy, chances are someone will kill you because your smugness will be off the charts.

      BTW. Those are an old study, it seems while holds true for rodents no effect is shown on other species.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    10. Re:Holy shit by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 2

      It's my understanding the brain does not work that way. Although it grows new stuff to learn, those cells are basically it, and those cells just start wearing out.

      Assuming the wildest success for telomere lengthening for every other cell and organ in your body, and you'll still be a drooling idiot at 150.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    11. Re:Holy shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does it make you live forever, or just make it feel like you live forever?

    12. Re:Holy shit by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      Still, if you remain reasonably cogent, it would be sweet to run around at 100 in a 20 year old body. Youth no longer wasted on thee young, imagine the perverted fucking you'll do -- Dr. Seuss

      "Hi."

      "Hello."

      "What's your name?"

      "Buffy."

      "I'm Devilus. Say, do you play Magic: The Gathering?"

      "Ha god no!"

      "Uhhh, I have to go, bye. (To self) looks like it's you and me, again, Rosie, for the 347,891st time. Sigh."

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    13. Re:Holy shit by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 2

      WE may be near a cure for that. In senescence, the synapses shrink, leading to "broken connections." It turns out that hibernating animals prune the synapses in the brain to reduce caloric needs, and re-grow the connections in the spring, with memories intact.

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    14. Re:Holy shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ha! My thoughts exactly.

      Although, it could also be argued that it makes time go faster!

    15. Re:Holy shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry, doesn't technology always get better and we'll find something?

      Or are you saying we'll have Space Elevators and colonize the universe, but be utterly powerless to repair three pounds of fatty meat?

      And what kind of cells wore out when you wrote "Impiuos" in your user name?

      Yeesh. Must be embarrassing to have such a glaring error every time you post!

    16. Re:Holy shit by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      That's related to the classic guy who bikes all the time and is hit by a bus. I don't play in the street very often, so I think my odds of getting hit by a bus are pretty low. (heart attack and stroke are pretty high though)

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    17. Re:Holy shit by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      Time is more difficult to escape than gravity.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    18. Re:Holy shit by xevioso · · Score: 1

      Since Magic the Gathering keeps getting bigger and bigger, with more people playing it every year than before, you might want to pick another nerd pasttime to make fun of.

    19. Re:Holy shit by juancnuno · · Score: 1

      Be a jellyfish or lobster? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B...

    20. Re:Holy shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, there isn't. That is half of the existential crisis we all face. You are doomed.

      The other half of the problem is that nothing you do while alive is meaningful. "The absurd" (in philosophical terms) is the conflict between our search for meaning and the utter absence of it.

      So, life is meaningless and then you die. I would express hope that you can find a way to deal with that, but really why should I care?

    21. Re:Holy shit by Qzukk · · Score: 1

      Maybe he was going for imp -> impious than for im-pious.

      --
      If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
    22. Re:Holy shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Coffee makes you live forever.

      ReallyhowmanycupsdoIneedamIdrinkingenoughyet?Timedoesseemtomovealittlebitslowernowsothere'salwaysthat.Maybethat'stheeffect?Youliveforeverbecausethetimeyouhaveseemstomovesoslowly?Wellgottarush.Later.

    23. Re:Holy shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Coffee fucks up your head. But a lot of people seem to like that.

    24. Re:Holy shit by tigersha · · Score: 1

      Sorry to break the news to you, but....no

      --
      The dangers of excessive individualism are nothing compared to the oppressiveness of excessive collectivism
    25. Re:Holy shit by tigersha · · Score: 1

      You have a reference for this? How much s that attributed to a less testosterone-filled more violent lifestyle?

      --
      The dangers of excessive individualism are nothing compared to the oppressiveness of excessive collectivism
    26. Re:Holy shit by Immerman · · Score: 1

      Well, the church records were used to compare castrato to their clergyman peers, so probably not a whole lot of violence involved anywhere. A nice relatively controlled population with few other variables - everyone pretty much eating and working side by side. I also just read (perhaps somewhere later on this page?) that a similar anaylsis was done on records of Korean eunuchs with similar findings.

      Meanwhile it's a safe bet the rat studies were even more tightly controlled. It's long been recognized that castration can have a dramatic effect on animals, such as turning would-be bulls into much larger, stronger oxen instead (though timing is key) - and you actually get a similar effect in humans - eunuchs tend to grow to be considerably larger than normal men. Conceptually it's not such a stretch that aging is effected as well.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
  8. Incomplete data by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    "First of all, I want to reiterate that the study is worth paying attention to, and we should take the results seriously if and when the data reaches any reasonable threshold of statistical significance. At this point, though, they're nowhere near that threshold. The main problem is that sample sizes are large in the "less exercise" groups, which means they have a statistically significant reduction in mortality, but they are tiny in the "more exercise" groups, which means they don't have a statistically significant reduction in mortality. This allows the authors to make the shamefully disingenuous argument that "strenuous joggers have a mortality rate not statistically different from that of the sedentary group"–which is almost a foregone conclusion, given that the sample size is less than a tenth as large."

    The (Supposed) Dangers of Running Too Much By Alex Hutchinson;
    http://www.runnersworld.com/health/the-supposed-dangers-of-running-too-much

    1. Re:Incomplete data by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2

      Basically do what you like. Don't sweat the little things.

      Work on quality rather than quantity and quit reading dumb studies that run around on the Internet.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    2. Re:Incomplete data by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 1

      Yeah; I was wondering about this. I run 13km'h 3 times/week. However, my relaxed walking speed is faster than many people's jogging speed.

      Taking physiology into account is necessary until they get their test populations to a significant figure -- which they are unlikely to have done so far.

  9. I'll save science billions of dollars in research by JoeyRox · · Score: 1

    By offering this simple advice for a long and healthy life: Do everything in moderation. Too little or too much of anything will kill you.

  10. 30% ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Although previous research has found that physically active people have at least a 30% lower risk of death compared with inactive people"

    Wait... don't we all have 100% risk of death?

    1. Re:30% ? by internerdj · · Score: 2

      Nope. Clearly inactive people have 130% risk of death.

    2. Re:30% ? by Immerman · · Score: 1

      Exactly what I was thinking. You could maybe have a 30% longer lifespan - which seems unlikely or it would have been noticed, or maybe a 30% lower chance of death within a particular timeframe. Or maybe if was poorly phrased, and should have been "moderate joggers have a 30% greater chance of not dieing". But then why draw the line at 30%? 30,000% would be equally accurate.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    3. Re:30% ? by sandytaru · · Score: 1

      Generally that statistic refers to "at any given age, averaged out." You're 30% more likely to die at age 60 if you don't exercise, compared to if you do. Conversely, you're 30% more likely to die at age 60 if you exercise too intensely, compared to those who exercise in moderation. Most of those weighted averages also stop around age 90 or so, depending on their methodology, since few people live that long and those that do are quite unlikely to be jogging multiple miles every day.

      --
      Occasionally living proof of the Ballmer peak.
    4. Re:30% ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      X = all the people who ever lived or are alive today.
      Y = all the people who are dead.

      Y / X is less than 1.0.... so... probability of death is not a certainty! :-D

    5. Re:30% ? by xevioso · · Score: 1

      Why are you including all the people who ever lived in X?

  11. Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You mean more isn't always better? Shock!

  12. Too much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Too Much Exercise May Not Be Better Than a Sedentary Lifestyle

    Too Much

    Well, that seems true by definition.

    1. Re: Too much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Exactly! Too much "thing" is bad, yep thanks for that. A gutter press headline if ever I saw one.

  13. Obviously by Kohlrabi82 · · Score: 5, Funny

    To quote Stephen Fry:

    "Of course 'too much' bad for you. 'Too much' of anything is bad for you, you blithering twat. That's what 'too much' means. 'Too much' water would be bad for you. Obviously 'too much' is precisely that quantity which is excessive. That's what it means. Jesus!"

    1. Re:Obviously by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's so sad is that no one is taking away the benefits they saw by running up to 15 MILES PER WEEK. This is head and shoulders above 99.999% of everyone on the planet. 3x/week 5k, 1x/week 10k. Every week. Doing more than this on a regular basis is absolutely unheard of outside of elite athletes.

    2. Re:Obviously by Headw1nd · · Score: 1

      elite athletes

      Divided up over the week, 15 miles is like 3 hours for a slow runner. I used to run over 2 hours a week and I am certainly not an elite athlete. My cousin, also not an elite athlete, used to run double (or more) than this weekly while training to run marathons.

  14. Moderation by neoform · · Score: 1

    As with anything in life, moderation is key.

    Take a look at any centenarian, they all do everything in moderation.

    --
    MABASPLOOM!
    1. Re:Moderation by Tyler+Durden · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Is it true that you smoke eight to ten cigars a day?"
      "That's true."
      "Is it true that you drink five martinis a day?"
      "That's true."
      "Is it true that you still surround yourself with beautiful young women?"
      "That's true."
      "What does your doctor say about all of this?"
      "My doctor is dead."

      - An interview with George Burns

      --
      Happy people make bad consumers.
  15. Wrecked joints and spine vs. chronic syndromes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Near-constant pain or diabetes and sleep apnea, take your pick!

  16. Statistical lies and damned lies? by xanthines-R-yummy · · Score: 2

    The error range for the strenuous jogging group is absolutely huge and only represents 2 deaths out 36 (or 40, depending on which plot you're looking at). Yeah, the differences between strenuous jogging and sitting on your ass might be technically statistically significant, but are the numbers in these groups sufficient to tell if there's a difference, ie is the study sufficiently powered?

    1. Re:Statistical lies and damned lies? by jittles · · Score: 1

      The error range for the strenuous jogging group is absolutely huge and only represents 2 deaths out 36 (or 40, depending on which plot you're looking at). Yeah, the differences between strenuous jogging and sitting on your ass might be technically statistically significant, but are the numbers in these groups sufficient to tell if there's a difference, ie is the study sufficiently powered?

      Not to mention that this depends entirely on the person. If my math is correct, this article is suggesting than running faster than a an 8:45 mile can be dangerous to you. I'm a pretty big guy. I can run an 8:30 mile for 5 miles without becoming short of breath. If I were a foot shorter, perhaps that would be a very strenuous pace for me. I don't see how running that fast could be dangerous for me if I am running at the same number of strides per minute as someone who runs slower than me.

    2. Re:Statistical lies and damned lies? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You've got it backwards - taller people are slower, because they weigh more. Distance running is a sport that favors very light people of average height.

  17. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    well some things shouldn't be done in moderation...

    smoking, eating feces, etc

  18. it however bears repeating. by nimbius · · Score: 1

    A sedentary lifestyle + poor diet = a cornucopia of preventable diseases that will slowly take away your quality of life. Working in devops is on par with being a long-haul trucker that happens to know python. The food is always fast, and the hours at the desk are as random as your sleep schedule. Ive found transitioning to a standing desk and taking walks around the office has helped some.

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
  19. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by boristdog · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Exactly. My father was a big jogger in the 1970's and 1980's. He ran 5 to 10 miles almost every day.

    Around age 68 he had to get a knee replaced. At 73 he had the other knee replaced. The doctors told him that pretty much anyone who jogged that much has to get new knees. Now he still has trouble walking long distances, which sucks for him since he lives in the mountains and loves to hike.

    My father has advised me against jogging more than a couple miles twice a week.

  20. Study with tiny sample sizes finds unusual result by quantaman · · Score: 0

    Should be the headline for about 66%* of media science reporting.

    * Results of a vigorous study of glancing at three headlines in my Google News Science section.

    --
    I stole this Sig
  21. Awaiting by dcw3 · · Score: 1

    Awaiting the inevitable comparison between this science and AGW.

    --
    Just another day in Paradise
  22. Not Surprising by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Your heart is a very complex muscle, sure, but in the end it's still just a muscle. You want to strengthen it, but putting it under massive duress has just as much negative effect as letting it atrophy? No big surprise. Blame the frenzy of fitness/diet/"clean living" obsessed culture. There's people who are into fitness (myself included) who understand that it's not a lifestyle in and of itself, but something to be done in moderation to help you feel better, concentrate better, and just get a bit more out of your life. These people who are spending so much time they have no other hobbies are just senselessly wasting time and wrecking their bodies.

    1. Re:Not Surprising by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      but putting [your heart] under massive duress has just as much negative effect as letting it atrophy?

      Yeah, remind me how negative the effects of correctly performing high-weight deadlifts and squats 2-3 times a week are on other muscles in the body?

  23. Study group size? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apparently this whole thing is based on a total of 2 people(out of 36) dying. Maybe too soon to change your entire lifestyle. http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleID=2108914

  24. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Drethon · · Score: 1

    Moderation being to limit to a healthy amount, which in some items in none.

  25. False title by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Too much exercise is as bad as a sedentary lifestyle

  26. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good work. Now all you need to do is define 'moderation' for all types of food/activity.

  27. No shit Sherlock by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Too much" is too much by definition. Even too much water will kill you. The study isn't to blame though, as its point seems to be finding out how much is too much.

  28. Quality over quantity by ichthus · · Score: 1

    I don't care now long I live. I do care about how well I live. I'd rather be muscular, look good and have the freedom to go snowboarding as much as I want, and die in my 70's, than be out of shape and have difficulty getting around until I'm 100.

    --
    sig: sauer
    1. Re:Quality over quantity by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

      I don't care now long I live. I do care about how well I live. I'd rather be muscular, look good and have the freedom to go snowboarding as much as I want, and die in my 70's, than be out of shape and have difficulty getting around until I'm 100.

      Bet you won't be saying that once you hit your 70's. :-)

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  29. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is no scientific evidence that running damages knees. It is a myth. The fact that your father's doctors believe this is true is concerning.

  30. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The doctors told him that pretty much anyone who jogged that much has to get new knees.

    Running is a complex biomechanical activity. Most people I see running are not running with biomechanically-correct form. This probably stems from lack of knowledge of how to run correctly, lack of core strength to run correctly, shoes that do not fit their physiology and personal running form, etc., etc.

    Since most people run with poor form, it's not a surprise that most people that jog require knee replacements.

    Running, when done correctly, produces minimal stress on knee joints, even at 10+ mph.

  31. Internet hyperbolic echo chamber strikes again... by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 5, Informative

    2) Measure things until one of the outcomes reaches "statistical significance".

    Look at the small number of participants shown in the original data here, and the conclusion that is being echoed all over the Internet seems dramatically overstated. The original authors acknowledged this and called for further research, as did the editorial accompanying publication, but of course that hardly gets mentioned in all the Internet echo chamber "don't do too much exercise, you might just as well slob around on the sofa" rhetoric.

    I can't find a publicly available primary source to cite, but it looks like only a little over a hundred "strenuous" joggers were included in the study, and of those only two actually died. The remaining ones could go jog their normal route and still not travel the length of the error bars here.

    --
    If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
  32. Re:Internet hyperbolic echo chamber strikes again. by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 1

    Sorry, I misread the figures in the parent post. Actually there were only 36 strenuous joggers studied. Go read the Larry Husten link under TFS, he explains the problem here better than I did.

    --
    If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
  33. Correlation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is all correlation, not causation.

    People that exercise more might also east more beef or take in more protein or god knows what.

  34. Running = too much stress by DogDude · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I've always thought that running and jogging was too jarring to joints and such. I stay in great shape by *walking* ~5-6 miles a day, but I wouldn't run. Walking (fast) provides the same benefit as running, but without the joint wear and tear, and of course, it takes about twice as long.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
  35. 8m47s mile by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For you US runners that "strenuous jogging" line was drawn at 6.84 mph or about an 8 minute 47second mile.

  36. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who should I believe, a doctor and someone who's experienced destroyed knees from running, or some random AC that's concerned that doctors believe something contrary to the ACs delusions?

  37. Retarded Conclusion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    This is a another case of intellectually deprived 'journalists' with about as much understanding of statistics as my pet goldfish making their own inept conclusions of studies in order to create a 'click-bait' snappy headline.
    40 Joggers formed part of the strenuous jogger group! 40! 2 of them died! This is not statistically significant! You CANNOT conclude anything from this, other than jogging is not instantly fatal!

  38. I've been running since 1969 by peter303 · · Score: 1

    I would say my long term health been progressing about same as more sedentary siblings and parents at the same age. Most recent ailments idiopathic (no obvious cause) high blood pressure and some arthritis. I'd say short-term I was able to do more than my relatives in terms of hiking up mountains and long biking due to high general fitness.

    There are a number of "half century" cardio people around encouraged by Dr.Cooper's book Aerobics published in the mid 1960s.(He coined that exercise term.) Cooper was the main promoter and researcher of cardio over just calesthetics. But he has also been claiming for decades that extreme endurance exercise may be harmful.

  39. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by shadowrat · · Score: 1

    EVERYTHING!? that's way too much moderation! you die.

  40. Too much of anything is bad. by roc97007 · · Score: 1

    Film at eleven.

    --
    Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
  41. Dr Mercola covered this similarly in 2011 by Geek_Cop · · Score: 1

    A lot of people think he's a quack...but I followed his advice from my death bed in 2010 and am fully recovered without having been remotely sick since: http://fitness.mercola.com/sit...

  42. Narrow by wisnoskij · · Score: 1

    That is a pretty narrow study group to try and say plaything about general exercise. Not only is running not the same as any other exercise, who knows what sort of things people who "ran faster than 11 km/h for more than 4 hours a week" took, injected, ate.

    Even if we ignore the taking steroids angle, sometimes these exercise freaks eat salads after running 60 miles, when they should be downing 5 pound steaks.

    --
    Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    1. Re:Narrow by moeinvt · · Score: 1

      Not to say that there aren't PEDs for distance runners, but steroids improve the performance of sprinters, weightlifters and other athletes who benefit from larger more powerful muscles. Long distance runners wouldn't benefit by artificially increasing their muscle mass.

    2. Re:Narrow by Neil+Boekend · · Score: 1

      It's mostly about energy in vs energy out. Running 100 km at 6.5 km/h with 91 kg of body weight costs approximately 6,500 Kcal according to this random webpage I found. Including normal daily needs you'd need 8700 Kcal for such a day (for scale: this is almost 12 Mc Donalds double Quarter Pounders)

      Thus it really depends on the salad. A salad made of 2000g of eruca sativa, 2000 gr of a mix of different lettuce types, 500 gr blue cheese, 500 gr of penne rigate, a couple of table spoons of honey and 600 ml of real mayo (not the light stuff) (add a good scoop of mustard and a table spoon of dill because that'll make it taste awesome) will give sufficient calories if my calculations are correct.

      I'm hungry now.

      OK. Much of the calories are not from the lettuce or the Sativa (that is only about 500 Kcal combined) but a good salad should be more than greens.

      A 100 gram salad without dressing (because that contains evil fat) is not the right choice in that case. It will leave you with a lack of 8700-22 (the salad)= 8,678 Kcal short (assuming you don't eat anything else).
      That kind of short will land you in the coffin real quick.

      Note, this is not a complete food advice. I am not a licensed professional. I just like food and doing sports.
      Paraphrased from Randall Munroe: I am a guy who comments on the internet. I like when things catch fire and explode, which means I do not have your best interests in mind.

      --
      Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
  43. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    5 doctors, two of which agree with you, 3 of which don't:

    http://www.livescience.com/36241-5-experts-answer-running-bad-knees.html

    Basically, if you're the perfect shape, perfect weight, and have perfect running motion, you won't be hurt.

    If one of those is not true, you will be hurt.

    Or you could just not take a risk and limit your running to the peak healthy amount.

    Up to you.

  44. Re:Internet hyperbolic echo chamber strikes again. by Albanach · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Forbes article linked in the summary is telling:

    They point out several very important weaknesses in the study. First there is the general issue that this is just an observational study. There are a multitude of differences between the different groups in the study, and it is impossible to know with any certainty whether the jogging dose had any important causal relationship with the deaths that occurred in the study. Of course the researchers attempted to correct for many of the known differences but this is a highly imperfect science at best. And this was not a best case scenario. The mean age of the non-joggers in the study was 61.3 years while the mean age of all the joggers in the study ranged from the late 30s to the mid 40s. So this isn’t just comparing apples and oranges, it’s comparing a young juicy apple with a shriveled old lemon.

    But even if it were possible to compare the groups and adjust for the differences there would still be another insuperable problem. The study simply had no statistical power to detect differences between the jogging groups. Although there were 128 deaths among the 413 non-joggers there were only 17 deaths in all the 1,098 joggers, including only 2 deaths among the 36 strenuous joggers. The authors calculated that those 2 deaths represented a two-fold increase in risk for the strenuous joggers compared to the non-joggers, but the enormous confidence interval, ranging from less than half the risk to an 8-fold increase, illustrates the futility of obtaining any sort of reasonable estimate of risk based on so few data points.

  45. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Come on! We've been running for thousands of years. Running is one thing that defines Homo Sapiens. Please spare me of this technical mumble-jumble.

  46. Jogging is a bad idea all around by butchersong · · Score: 1

    I always feel bad for folks obviously trying to drop weight out in the park jogging... There isn't much about jogging that strikes me as healthy. Better off with walking interspersed with occational all out sprints once or twice a week and lifting weights.

  47. Harrumph by ThatsNotPudding · · Score: 1

    "Long-term excessive exercise may be associated with coronary artery calcification, diastolic dysfunction and large artery wall stiffening," wrote lead author Peter Schnohr of Copenhagen's Frederiksberg Hospital in a Danish study.

    You sound fat.

  48. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I'll save science billions of dollars in resear

    Oh, cool! Your anecdotal evidence with a single point of data prevents us from having to rigorously apply the scientific method! Hey, thanks, man!

  49. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Headw1nd · · Score: 1

    I hear there are some guys in Scotland with really good form.

  50. Who cares by bkr1_2k · · Score: 1

    I don't care if I'm really extending my life any longer. We're all going to die, that's a given, and nothing other than medicine and hygiene (both personal and societal) have been statistically shown to significantly increase that life span. What I care about is how I feel while I'm alive. I don't exercise to live longer, I exercise to feel better while I'm alive. That's also why I don't exercise in a gym. Go out and play.

    --
    "Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional."
  51. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by SmilingBoy · · Score: 1

    In the old days, Homo Sapiens rarely had to worry about worn-out knees as they passed away before the age that the knees would have to be replaced. So there was no evolutionary pressure to have sturdy knees that would last into your 80s.

  52. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by tehdaemon · · Score: 2

    But we haven't been doing it in shoes. Or with feet modified by wearing shoes. Or on pavement, or mostly in cold climates.

    I am not sure which of these changes is more important. My best guess is the shoes. It is easy to tell when humans started wearing shoes, the feet are distinctly different. Different feet + padding = different running which may = damaged joints.

    T

    --
    Laws are horrible moral guides, moral guides make even worse laws.
  53. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's because of running wrong. Not because of running.

    'Natural running', landing on the forefoot/toes, allows the foot to slowly load on impact. Running as most people do, landing on their heels on their thick heeled running shoes transfers a huge shock load onto the knees. If you have someone run barefoot across a lawn, you will see that they naturally land on the forefoot/toes. Put standard running shoes on them, and they land on their heels, trashing their knees.

  54. So... by sootman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So... "everything in moderation"? Just like... everything else? Got it.

    --
    Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
  55. Unit conversion by Atmchicago · · Score: 1

    11 kilometers per hour works out to a pace of roughly 8.77 minutes per mile (the more familiar way of measuring pace by American runners). That's by no means particularly fast.

    --

    You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it dissolve.

    1. Re:Unit conversion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I swear we need metric time.

    2. Re:Unit conversion by cerberusti · · Score: 1

      I would say it is a decently fast jog, but is not a run. I would put that cutoff at around 7:30 miles, and say that it involves some changes in the way you move (less bouncing up and down, getting up on the balls of your feet, etc.) Personally my knees hurt if I jog, but not if I run.

      I do my morning 5k in just under 18 minutes on most days as a comparison (usually in the 5:40 per mile range, but on a good day I can do it in a little over 15 minutes.)

      --
      I'm a signature virus. Please copy me to your signature so I can replicate.
  56. Sounds like more bad science... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "people who ran faster than 11 km/h for more than 4 hours a week"

    If the study was based on one set speed, I doubt the findings are valid. Percentage of max heart rate would be a better metric. Some people jog effortlessly at 11 km/h (or, as runners in the US would say, 8:46 / mile). Their heart rate might not get much over 130 bpm as they carry on casual conversation with a friend during the jog. Other people would be gasping for air and their heart rate pegged at 180+ bpm by the time they made it 11 km at that pace...on the verge of throwing up and/or passing out. The former would benefit from the nice easy 6.8 mile jog on their lunch break. The latter just stressed their muscles and cardio system to the max...and they will need about 7 days rest to fully recover (1 day of rest per mile raced is the rule of thumb).

    Don't read stupid studies. Eat healthy and exercise at a comfortable pace...no science needed.

  57. "Too Much" .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I dislike statements that start "Too much ... leads to ...". By definition "Too much" of anything is negative. Sometimes there is a discussion of what "Too much" is, I.E. Too much money ...". But once everyone is in agreement over "Too much" then it is always bad. Its just too much.

  58. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by boristdog · · Score: 2

    I have yet to talk to a doctor that didn't believe that excessive running damages knees.

    That's why it's called "excessive."

  59. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by boristdog · · Score: 1

    I have heard that shoes are the main culprit as well.

    I wonder if anyone has studied the knees of Tarahumara people? They run insane amounts and rarely wear shoes.

  60. Yet another 'news story' to be miscontrued! by kheldan · · Score: 1
    You know how the 'sedentary' (read as: fat, totally un-fit couch potatoes) will get from this?

    See? I shouldn't exercise at all, it'll kill me quicker! Honey, could you get me another beer from the 'fridge? I don't want to get up.

    Seriously, I'd like to just shoot so-called 'researchers' who publish crap like this.

    --
    Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
  61. "TOO" much of anything is bad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    More than enough of anything is bad for you, so the headline & study is pretty pointless.

  62. James O'Keefe by kogut · · Score: 1

    This entire idea is championed by one of the authors - James O'Keefe. He's made this his cause celebre'. I find his conclusions not well supported by the evidence. He makes jumps. And then the media takes it and runs with even more eye-catching headlines.

  63. Quality of life vs length of life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    To me, if you told me that riding my bike excessively will give me the same life span of a sedentary person, say 75 years, I'm still going to ride. Exercising is a significant part of my life. When running or riding I'm able to release a lot of work and life stress and often times solve problems as I let them work out in the back of my mind. I have many scars with greats stories for most of them. When my time finally does come and I'm laid out on the table, I want to doctor to be able to at a glance see that I was out living life everyday and not just existing. What good is it if you live to be 150 years old but never do anything with that time.

  64. Stress seems to be ignored by evanh · · Score: 1

    Stress factors will always swamp out everything else.

    There is never going to be any valid studies of heart disease as long as sources of stress aren't being accounted for.

    1. Re:Stress seems to be ignored by moeinvt · · Score: 1

      What do you mean "valid"? There are many valid studies which find a causal link between heart disease and obesity. Fat people are at higher risk for heart disease than their thinner counterparts. The suitably large sample size should provide some control for factors like stress.
      Are stressed out people at higher risk than calm people if you control for BMI? Probably, but that doesn't mean that studies linking obesity and heart disease are not valid.

  65. Headline confuses the issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This study isn't about *exercise*; it's about long fdistsnce running. The study isn't even the first study to show that long distance runners suffer cardiac events in similar proportion to nonrunners. Slashdot, unlike the LA Times, confuses the issue and paints it as though exercise will be equally damaging as a sedentary lifestyle. The only issue here is whether long distance running improves cardiac health.

  66. Not by my definition. by moeinvt · · Score: 1

    "Too much exercise"?
    "high-intensity, high-mileage joggers"?

    I figured the article was going to be discussing triathletes and ultra-marathon runners. Instead, it's talking about:

    "people who... ran faster than 7 mph for more than 2.5 hours a week with a frequency of more than three times a week..."

    That doesn't seem like very much. Running at 7 mph means doing an 8:35/mile pace, and 2.5 hours per week at that pace means 17 miles. I wouldn't call that "high intensity" and "high mileage".

    1. Re:Not by my definition. by cerberusti · · Score: 1

      At 8:30 miles we are not really talking about running at all, we are talking about jogging.

      --
      I'm a signature virus. Please copy me to your signature so I can replicate.
  67. Too good of shape. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The doctor said I was in "too good of shape".
    Do you believe it?
    Too good of shape..

  68. A few counterpoints by EmagGeek · · Score: 1

    First of all, jogging is fucking stupid. Second of all, who is going to be a bigger burden on the health system, an obese diabetic with hyptertension, heart disease, and a myriad of other chronic health problems, or a stupid jogger who gets lightheaded when they stand up and just keels over dead one day?

    Do your civic duty and become a stupid jogger

    Sincerely,

    A stupid runner/cyclist whose most recent cardiac calcium score showed no significant calcification of anything despite spending 20+ hours/week in the zone.

  69. It's all about the shoes. by dfenstrate · · Score: 4, Informative

    The doctors told him that pretty much anyone who jogged that much has to get new knees.

    Running is a complex biomechanical activity. Most people I see running are not running with biomechanically-correct form. This probably stems from lack of knowledge of how to run correctly, lack of core strength to run correctly, shoes that do not fit their physiology and personal running form, etc., etc.

    Since most people run with poor form, it's not a surprise that most people that jog require knee replacements.

    Running, when done correctly, produces minimal stress on knee joints, even at 10+ mph.

    Modern padded running shoes promote bad form, causing knee and other injuries, and prevent your feet from strengthening, causing planar fascitis and a few other maladies. Your foot is actually well constructed to run, but it can't do it's job wrapped in a ton of leather and foam.

    I've had some success with minimalist running shoes (abrasion protection only, no padding, sole is about 1/8" thick)- it's important to enable your feet to strengthen. After a few weeks of walking around in thin shoes, I started running again and it felt like I had new feet- it was awesome.
    Wearing thin shoes forces you to land on your forefoot, allowing your very complicated foot to absorb shock like it's supposed to. Wearing thick-soled shoes allows you to land on your heel, and that force is transmitted straight up to your knee. The padding prevents immediate pain but the shock goes through nonetheless.

    There's a great book on running, called "Born to Run", that discusses this and many other aspects of running. I highly recommend the book.

    --
    Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be the name of a store, not a government agency.
    1. Re:It's all about the shoes. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hope those weren't the ones with the individual toes; those freak me out, someone, please, hold me.

    2. Re:It's all about the shoes. by neurovish · · Score: 1

      The doctors told him that pretty much anyone who jogged that much has to get new knees.

      Running is a complex biomechanical activity. Most people I see running are not running with biomechanically-correct form. This probably stems from lack of knowledge of how to run correctly, lack of core strength to run correctly, shoes that do not fit their physiology and personal running form, etc., etc.

      Since most people run with poor form, it's not a surprise that most people that jog require knee replacements.

      Running, when done correctly, produces minimal stress on knee joints, even at 10+ mph.

      Modern padded running shoes promote bad form, causing knee and other injuries, and prevent your feet from strengthening, causing planar fascitis and a few other maladies. Your foot is actually well constructed to run, but it can't do it's job wrapped in a ton of leather and foam.

      I've had some success with minimalist running shoes (abrasion protection only, no padding, sole is about 1/8" thick)- it's important to enable your feet to strengthen. After a few weeks of walking around in thin shoes, I started running again and it felt like I had new feet- it was awesome.

      I've been wearing Newtons for the past few years. I had tried running regularly in the past, but always quit after awhile because of knee/leg pain. The first few times it was from just trying to go too far too fast. One year I took it up slowly and was able to do a 5k, but my knees/legs were still sore. After that first 5k, I picked up a pair of Newtons to give them a shot. The first month of running in them was very awkward and caused soreness in whole different groups of muscles, but even on the first run with them I didn't feel it in my knees at all. Been running mostly pain free since then.

    3. Re:It's all about the shoes. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      +1 for the forefoot strike.

      I've been running for about 7 years, going to do my 5th marathon this year. The first year was tough, frequented with odd injuries/soreness. I attributed it to my body adjusting (had done lots of cardio previously, just not running) but after many months of continued pain, I was about ready to give up when I became aware of forefoot striking.

      The theory is basically this: Traditional trainer running shoes have a high heel, which changes one's form and lengthens the stride, resulting in a marginally faster pace. However, they encourage a "heel strike" as opposed to a forefoot strike, which is what the body does naturally when barefoot. Do this experiment: Try running barefoot. How often does your heel *even touch* the ground? Exactly.

      Now I only buy shoes that have *at most* a 4mm toe-to-heel rise. The current pair I wear are 0mm. Standard trainers are ~15mm. It makes a huge difference...I've been essentially injury free since, except for (ironically) a bike wreck last year which injured my knee a little and had to lay off running for a month or so.

  70. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    yeah bullshit.

  71. Active people have a 30% lower risk of death? by Radical+Moderate · · Score: 1

    I see. Actually, everyone, including active people, has a 100% risk of death. What the study found was a lower mortality rate among joggers over a 12 year period. Before we mock the OP, note that he quoted that directly from the LA Times. The LA Times Science section. Contemporary science journamalism, gotta love it.

    --
    Never let a lack of data get in the way of a good rant.
  72. Re:Internet hyperbolic echo chamber strikes again. by Bengie · · Score: 2

    10 years ago in college I was talking with a teacher with a PHD related to wellness and we got on this exact topic. They told me too much exercise is well known to increase arterial plaque and was a major health issue with long distance runners. Great hearts, bad plaque.

  73. Re:Internet hyperbolic echo chamber strikes again. by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 2

    It is certainly possible that performing very high levels of physical activity is worse for the human body in some respects than performing lower levels. However, this study doesn't support that theory to any statistically useful degree.

    --
    If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
  74. Re:Internet hyperbolic echo chamber strikes again. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is yet another incomplete quote. They grouped joggers into 3 blocks - Light, moderate and strenuos. The last group had only 40 people in it,with 2 deaths , so that doesn't count.i.e. you can't conclude that running a lot is worse than not running at all.

    But on the other hand, there is 200+ people in the moderate joggers and they died at a significantly higher rate than the light jogger. So, the evidence on "running too much is a waste" is not too weak.

  75. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Running is a traumatic activity. It will wear out your joints.

    There's a 92 year old man in our bike club who rides 50+ miles a week.

    Former marathon runner. Can't run anymore. Has new hips and is on his second set of replacement knees. Cycling is considered zero impact, so he does that.

    His doctor used to give him crap about his bike riding, to which he responded. "You might as well fucking kill me right now, Doc."

  76. Ultra-marathoners by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Watched this documentary, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Runners, on netflix a few nights ago. Four 5-day, 250km desert runs in a year. Those guys (and gals) aren't doing the bodies any good.

  77. The biggest failure of science: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This isn't a failure of science, it's a failure of science journalism.

    "though in both cases these differences were not statistically significant after adjusting for other risk factors"

    In other words, there's nothing to see here. No significant results = no conclusions can be drawn, PERIOD. Otherwise you might as well throw dice and speculate about the meaning.

  78. duh, of course! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Of course, too much exercise is bad for you.

    too much of anything is bad for you, that's what "too much" means.

  79. What % of the pop over-exercise vs don't exercise? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What % of the pop over-exercise vs don't exercise?
    As a health care provider, I can tell you non-exercisers out-number exercisers (just exercisers, not over-execisers) by at least 8 to 1, and maybe 10 or 10.9 to one. Over-exercisers probably make up well under 1% of the population at any point in time, and probably less than 5% over-exercise during their lifetime. And of those who do overexercise, most don't do it for too long. Unfortunately many will read about this, and decide sit on the sofa, "just to be on the safe side."
    Another interesting topic regarding news on health issues*: how does raw scientific research get noticed by news reporters, or promoted by people with an axe to grind, gets digested by reporters with their spin**, turned into a provocative story-line, misunderstood by the general public, who, understandably, end up like Scott Adams (Dilbert; see his recent blog about health science).
    * Similar issues occur in news reporting on any science story.
    ** If you look close at major news stories about health, you will find a fair % report one study, often months old. Why that study? Why report it now?

  80. Reducing death by 30% by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nothing reduces your death risk by 30% Your risk of dying is 100%, eventually. Some things may reduce risk of death somewhat at certain ages. The major benefit of exercise is to improve health, and hopefully quality of life, at any age.

    As a geriatrician for 25 years, I tell my patients that they should undertake a program of moderate cardio exercise. Walking seems as good as anything. The exercise that really reduces frailty as we age ( and therefore improves length of life in many) is resistance exercise. Maintaining lean body (muscle) mass seems vitally important. Even if you have been a couch potato most of your life, resistance exercise will benefit you. Just don't do too much too soon.

    We have a joke - life is a sexually transmitted condition with a one hundred percent mortality rate.

  81. Re:I'll save science billions of dollars in resear by mjwx · · Score: 1

    Exactly. My father was a big jogger in the 1970's and 1980's. He ran 5 to 10 miles almost every day.

    Around age 68 he had to get a knee replaced. At 73 he had the other knee replaced. The doctors told him that pretty much anyone who jogged that much has to get new knees. Now he still has trouble walking long distances, which sucks for him since he lives in the mountains and loves to hike.

    My father has advised me against jogging more than a couple miles twice a week.

    Its the same with any form of high impact sports. Former (Australian Rules) football players getting hip replacements in their 40's. A lot have their hamstrings pack it in whilst still in their 20's (effectively ending their career).

    Also with lifting weights, its far more important to lift correctly than to lift heavy. Sure you can squat twice as much if you only drop by 2 inches instead of putting your arse below your knees like you're meant to, but the former will leave you with a serious back problem in a short time.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  82. Re:Internet hyperbolic echo chamber strikes again. by Albanach · · Score: 1

    In your 200+ sample, eight died. Certainly that's more than the seven deaths in 570 light joggers, but we really are stretching the meaning of statistically significant when we work with such small numbers. The tiniest factor that wasn't accounted for could easily make the difference.

    Also, given the time period of the study, it's likely there's a great reliance on self-reporting of activity level. Doing the same study today, over ten years should be possible with a much better data set thanks to apps like Strava, MapMyRun, etc.

  83. Yes but they LOOK great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If all you care about is getting laid, that's probably true.

  84. Basically don't exercise by nhat11 · · Score: 1

    Got it!

  85. Re:Internet hyperbolic echo chamber strikes again. by neurovish · · Score: 1

    10 years ago in college I was talking with a teacher with a PHD related to wellness and we got on this exact topic. They told me too much exercise is well known to increase arterial plaque and was a major health issue with long distance runners. Great hearts, bad plaque.

    So, that's interesting, but why does it happen?

  86. Re:Internet hyperbolic echo chamber strikes again. by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    My rule of thumb: if your statistical analysis can be changed by a change to one data point, you've got nothing. A two-fold increase would turn into the same rate if one less strenuous jogger had died.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  87. active people have 30% lower risk of death? by JKast · · Score: 1

    From TFA "Although previous research has found that physically active people have at least a 30% lower risk of death compared with inactive people, the ideal amount of exercise remains somewhat uncertain. In this study, strenuous joggers — (omitted)— had a mortality rate that is not statistically different from that of the sedentary group."

    No. Everyone will die... Inactive people may just die sooner.

  88. Listen to your body by NewYork · · Score: 1

    Listen carefully to your body. I'll tell you what's missing.

  89. Dictionary definition of MOOT by Optali · · Score: 1

    This study is old as hell and it resurfaces from time to time.It has been debunked so many times that is gets already boring.

    What these guys did was "normalizing" the datasets of both, active and sedentary subjects eliminating the effects of smoking, etc, etc. What is compared thus makes no sense as it is not "Sendetary vs Active" but "How would sedentary people compare to active if they weren't dying earlier do to lung cancer and heart disease" or putting it in other words "How would sedentary people do if they weren't sedentary"

    The very initial premise makes no sense:

    "As part of the Copenhagen City Heart Study, 1,098 healthy joggers and 3,950 healthy nonjoggers have been prospectively followed up since 2001"

    How can you compare that? A "healthy non-jogger" may be anything from a runner (don't EVER call us "joggers") to a bodybuilder, cyclist or swimmer, but that's NOT a sedentary person.

    By definition an individual that does some activity (and is thus healthy as defined by the standards of physical fitness) is NOT sedentary. Or what is a "healthy sedentary" then? People who just by pure random chance and without doing any sort of sport do not get fat, are nimble, strong, have good balance and don't get sick? I don't say this may

    And I assume that these guys aren't going to say that a fat guy with 5 heart bypasses is "healthy"... according to what parameters? Not having got a cold in the last 5 days?

    Every 2-3 years a study of this type is made and rapidly debunked... but the target of these is not the scientific or sports communities but the general public and the "Wellness" industry who is eager to give credit to these studies and sell low-ass fitness programs for everybody who is too lazy to do much more than 10 minutes of thumb gymnastics a month giving them a "valid" excuse for being lazy and not feeling guilty about it.

    Anyway: This is like the joke of the guy who goes to the doctor and the doctor tells him "You are deadly sick, you will only live for a year" "Can I do something?" "Yes, no sex, no drinks and avoid excitement" "Will I live longer then?" "Nope, but it will look like a hundred years to you"

    --
    -- 29A the number of the Beast
  90. Re:Internet hyperbolic echo chamber strikes again. by Optali · · Score: 1

    I was also going to state that one of the basic premises is utterly wrong:

    What is strenous? 5 mph? This is 8 km/h or 7:30 min/km (12:05 min/mile)... somebody "jogging" from 2001 to 2015 wouldn't even break sweat at this pace.
    My recovery pace is 10 km/h and my heart rate isn't going any higher than 127... Please note that this is way below the heart rate that is considered an "easy" pace (~143 for somebody with a maxHR of 185)

    And the more you train the faster you can go at low heart rate. Thus, why are they talking about pace at all? This makes absolutely no sense from a medical point of view: if you want to measure effort you cannot use the parameter speed, exactly as in physics, speed has nothing to do with work.

    M-O-O-T

    No matter the effect of the internet, this study shouldn't have been published in the first place

    --
    -- 29A the number of the Beast