‘Running is bad for your knees’ is a common line that makes its way around.
But is it actually true? Does running cause ‘wear and tear’ or osteoarthritis?
If we think of humans like cars or bridges, it makes sense to assume that more use simply equals more damage.
But you are neither a car nor a bridge.
Our bodies have the capacity to heal, remodel and adapt. Bone, muscle, tendon and cartilage all respond to load – provided the load is appropriate.
Of course, this capacity is finite. You cannot adapt to lifting 10 tonnes or running 10,000 kilometres in one go. But the right amount of stress, applied gradually, can make the body more resilient rather than simply wearing it out.
In one systematic review, hip and/or knee osteoarthritis was less common in recreational runners than in competitive runners and sedentary non-runners. Competitive runners had higher odds of osteoarthritis than recreational runners and non-runners.¹
So, the relationship may be more like a U-shape: too little physical activity and very high volumes of frequent, high-intensity activity may both be associated with higher osteoarthritis risk, while moderate physical activity may be protective.²
That does not mean running is automatically good or bad for every person. Like most things in health, context matters: previous injuries, training history, current fitness, strength, recovery, and how quickly you increase your running load can all play a role.
Key messages:
- Running is not inherently bad for your knees. For many people, it can be a healthy, safe and beneficial form of exercise.
- Even if you already have osteoarthritis, that does not mean your knees are ‘worn out’ or that you need to stop moving. Many people with osteoarthritis can stay active and live well – with or without pain.
- The goal is not to avoid load altogether – it is to find the right dose and build gradually.
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References:
- Alentorn-Geli et al. (2017) PMID: 28504066
- Allen et al. (2022) PMID: 34534661
