Relationship of Running Intensity to Hypertension, Hypercholesterolemia, and Diabetes

• Autores: Paul T. Williams
• Localización: Medicine & Science in Sports & exercise: Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, ISSN 0195-9131, Vol. 40, Nº. 10, 2008, págs. 1740-1748
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Purpose: To estimate the independent relationships of running intensity with antihypertensive, LDL-cholesterol-lowering, and antidiabetic medication use when adjusted for running volume (km[middle dot]d-1).

    Methods: Self-reported medication use was compared cross-sectionally to running pace (m[middle dot]s-1 during usual run) in 25,552 male and 29,148 female National Runners' Health Study participants.

    Results: The men ran a mean +/- SD of 5.2 +/- 3.1 km[middle dot]d-1 at 3.3 +/- 0.5 m[middle dot]s-1 (8.3 +/- 1.4 min[middle dot]mile-1) and the women 4.7 +/- 2.9 km[middle dot]wk-1 at 3.0 +/- 0.4 m[middle dot]s-1 (9.2 +/- 1.8 min[middle dot]mile-1). When adjusted for kilometers per day, each meter-per-second increment in intensity in men and women reduced the odds for antihypertensive drug use by 54% and 46%, respectively, reduced the odds for LDL-cholesterol-lowering medication use by 55% and 48%, respectively, and reduced the odds for antidiabetic medication use by 50% and 75%, respectively (all P < 0.0001). Compared with men who ran slower than 10 min[middle dot]mile-1, the odds for medication use in those who ran or exceeded a 7-min[middle dot]mile-1 pace were 72% less for antihypertensive, 78% less for LDL-cholesterol lowering, and 67% less for antidiabetic medications (the corresponding odds reductions in women were 61%, 64%, and 87%, respectively, for 8 min[middle dot]mile-1 or faster versus slower than 11 min[middle dot]mile-1). Although usual running pace correlated significantly with a 10-km performance (male, r = 0.55; females, r = 0.49), usual pace remained significantly related to lower use of all three medications in men and antihypertension and antidiabetic medications in women when adjusted for a 10-km performance.

    Conclusions: Although these results do not prove causality, they show that exercise intensity is inversely associated with the prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes independent of exercise volume and cardiorespiratory fitness (10-km performance), suggesting that the more vigorous the exercise, the healthier the health benefits.