Elderly Runners and Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
• Rheumatology
• Gerontology

Background:

• The relationship between running and the development of osteoarthritis (OA) remains a subject of debate.
• Previous research has yielded conflicting results regarding the long-term effects of running on joint health in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically compare the incidence of osteoarthritis (OA) in elderly individuals who run versus those who do not.
• To investigate whether running, at either recreational or elite levels, influences OA progression in individuals over 50 years of age.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review was performed following PRISMA guidelines, searching PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, and Web of Science.
• Included studies focused on OA onset in runners versus non-runners, with participants aged over 55 years.
• Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).

Main Results:

• The review analyzed data from 3001 participants (963 runners, 2038 non-runners) across 5 studies.
• The average age of participants was 59.4 years, with a mean BMI of 24.6 kg/m².
• No significant differences in OA incidence or progression were found between the running and non-running groups.

Conclusions:

• Middle-aged and older runners do not exhibit increased clinical or imaging signs of osteoarthritis compared to their sedentary counterparts.
• Running, regardless of intensity (recreational or elite), does not appear to accelerate osteoarthritis progression in individuals over 50.