Walk away from excess running, researchers say


 By EDWARD M. EVELD
 THE KANSAS CITY STAR

 If running 15 miles a week is heart
healthy, running 45 miles a week gives
you a cardiovascular system three
times as clean and strong, right?
 A new study sounds a serious alarm
about such thinking, adding to a
growing body of research on the topic
of excessive endurance exercise.
 You've heard of the runner's high.
Researchers now want you to hear
about runner's plaque coronary
artery plaque.
 In short: Running super-long dis-
tances for many years might backfire
on you.
 "Years of extreme exercise efforts
appear to erase some benefits you
get from moderate exercise, so that
your risk of heart disease, of dying
of coronary disease, is the same as a
sedentary person," said James O'Keefe,
preventive cardiologist at St. Luke's
Hospital in Kansas City, Mo.
 O'Keefe said the study found that
men who were marathon runners for
25 years had 62 percent more plaque
buildup in their coronary arteries
than men who were sedentary but
were similar to the runners in other
respects, including age.
 And the increased quantity of plaque
in the marathoners' arteries included
both hard, or calcified, plaque and the
more dangerous soft, fatty plaque. The
latter is the kind that can be predis-
posed to rupture and cause a heart
attack.
 O'Keefe is co-author of the paper in
the latest issue of Missouri Medicine,
the journal of the Missouri State
Medical Association. The study was
conducted by Robert Schwartz and
colleagues at the Minneapolis Heart
Institute Foundation.
 An unwavering advocate of exercise


and its health benefits, O'Keefe said
the new study adds weight to the idea
that the potent benefits of exercise are
"dose dependent."
 That is, the right amount matters.
Being sedentary is unhealthy. Regular,
moderate exercise bestows long-term
benefits.
 While logging huge numbers of
miles and running marathons can
keep you thinner, lower your risk for
Type 2 diabetes and offer other ben-
efits, it appears the subsequent wear
and tear on the heart is a potential
drawback, O'Keefe said.
 The study's marathoners, who
had run at least one 26.2-mile race a
year for 25 years, had a lower weight,
resting heart rate and body mass index
than the non-runners. The average age
of both groups was in the 50s.
 That works out well for the 3-milers
- keep doing that, O'Keefe said but
it's cautionary news for marathoners
and ultra-marathoners, at least those
who have been at it for years.
 Two years ago, in a report pub-
lished in the journal Mayo Clinic
Proceedings, O'Keefe and fellow
authors cited evidence that extreme
endurance training may cause struc-
tural damage to the heart, making it
stiff and enlarged. That paper showed
that moderate running distances
two to five times a week at moderate
speeds offered the best health benefits
and that even 15 minutes a day of
physical activity was helpful.
 Eladio Valdez, coach of the Runner's
Edge training group in the Kansas
City area, said he is aware of recent
research about the potential ill effects
of years of long-distance running, and
last year he held a clinic for his clients
on the topic. "I told my runners, 'We
can't ignore this research,'" he said.
 While such studies don't offer
definitive answers yet, Valdez said, the


research is "sobering," and he encour-
ages his long-distance runners to see
their cardiologist and to consider a
scan.
 Running fewer miles also reduces
overuse injuries, and he has seen
clients gravitate to more moderate
regimens.
 "Moderation may be the answer in
running, as with everything else in
life," he said.
 A runner for more than 30 years,
Valdez has cut back his miles from
about 40 a week to 20 to 25. He plans
on running one more marathon this
fall the 25th anniversary of his first
marathon and then no more.
 "I feel I have one more in me," he
said.
 O'Keefe worries that some people
will use the findings to argue against
exercise. But they would be ignoring
the overwhelming evidence that being


 FILE PHOTO
sedentary is clearly dangerous for the
heart, he said.
 Most people will never have the su-
per-exercisers' issues. For every person
who is over-exercising, there are 19
people not getting enough exercise,
O'Keefe said.
 Running about 15 to 20 miles a
week provides optimal health benefits,
O'Keefe said. Or walking can provide
benefits, from 2 miles a day to as much
as 40 miles a week. Virtually all types
of exercise and activities can also be
protective, but moderation is best for
long-term benefits, he said.
 "So this really knocks the props out
from under anyone with the excuse
'I just don't have enough time' or
'I've never been an athlete,'" O'Keefe
said. "You can train up to be the most
ultra-fit endurance athlete ever, but
that's not what's required for longevity.
Moderate exercise is."


Some foods you may consider 'unhealthy' are just the opposite


 WHATDOCTORSKNOW.COM
 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY

 There's a good chance the list of
foods you imagine includes options
that could actually help you reduce
stress, prevent heart disease and ward
off certain cancers. Unfortunately,
once a food gets labeled "bad for your
health," it never seems to lose that
description even when new studies


contradict previous claims.
 You can buck the trend. Here are five
foods to consider adding back to your
diet.
 1. Eggs Old thinking: Eggs will
raise cholesterol and your chances of
developing heart disease.
 New thinking: Eggs are loaded with
antioxidants, protein and nutrients
vital to good health. For example, a
2011 study found that regular egg


consumption helps reduce the risk
of cardiovascular disease and cancer
due to their high antioxidant content.
Additional studies have found that
eggs may help reduce blood pressure.
 Further, new research out of Yale
University has found that eggs can be
incorporated into a heart healthy diet
without negative effects on cholesterol,
weight or endothelial function. As with
all good things, though, just be sure to
eat eggs, and particularly egg yolks, in
moderation.
 2. Nuts Old thinking: Nuts are too
fattening.
 New thinking: In truth, any food
consumed in too great a quantity
will cause weight gain. However,
when eaten in appropriate portions
- always check the serving size as a
guideline the protein and healthy
fats found in nuts may actually help
you lose weight. In addition to weight
loss, eating nuts has been associated in
several studies with reducing the risk
of heart attack and stroke. Walnuts,
which contain heart-healthy omega-3
fats, are a particularly good option.
 3. Chocolate Old thinking: It's a
sweet treat, so it must be bad.
 New thinking: The old thinking does
apply to chocolate treats with a lot of
added sugar. However, dark chocolate
- look for cocoa content of at least 70
percent is loaded with flavonoids,
the same beneficial compounds found
in berries, red wine and tea. An ounce


of chocolate a day has been shown
to reduce risks for heart disease, and
an ounce and a half may help reduce
stress.
 4. Potatoes Old thinking: All
potatoes are too fattening.
 New thinking: Certain potatoes may
play a role in reducing the risk of a
silent killer but the type of potato
matters. A 2012 study found that
purple potatoes helped lower blood
pressure in hypertensive, obese indi-
viduals without causing weight gain.
Additionally, potatoes are naturally
high in fiber and contain virtually no
fat. Sweet potatoes and purple pota-
toes are tops when it comes to nutrient
density. Forgo the sour cream, bacon
bits, butter and cheese. Opt for fresh
veggies and herbs instead.
 5. Soy Old thinking: Eating soy
increases your risk of disease.
 New thinking: Soy is certainly
controversial, but as with some of the
foods mentioned above, the type of
soy you eat matters. Many concerns
are associated with highly processed
soy products, but numerous studies
looking at isoflavones and protein in
whole soy sources think miso, tofu
and edamame demonstrate the
benefits associated with this legume.
 Highlights include reduction in
cancers of the breast (for women on
certain types of therapy), prostate
and colon and improvement in heart
health.


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