Running & IVDs

Think running is bad for your joints??…not so fast! A recent study (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0229457) evaluated the health of the intervertebral discs (IVD) in long time runners versus an inactive control group of the same age bracket (44-62 years). Runners demonstrated significantly healthier IVDs. In fact the longer an individual ran in terms of years and distance, the better their IVD morphology. Although this study was small (N=17) and cross sectional in nature, it further corroborates prior research by Belavy et al., 2017 (N=79). The axial loading of running may potentially create an adaptation of IVD hypertrophy and functionally enhanced composition, namely proteoglycan content & hydration. Whether healthier IVDs allow an individual to run longer and degenerated discs force an individual to stop is unknown, however the possibility that running provides an anabolic stimulus for the spine is an encouraging line of future research. Personal publisher bias is fully disclosed!