New study suggests link between distance running and early-onset colorectal cancer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never thought long distance running was a healthy work out. Especially compared to walking, pilates, yoga, and barre.

I was a competitive swimmer, but not a top level one. I kept doing masters swimming.

I listen to a swimming podcast, and it amazing the number of surgeries and problems that the top swimmers go through. I guess humans weren't designed to swing their arms around like windmills several thousand times a day. My shoulder came right during the COVID lockdowns when the pools were closed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every day I find some new information to support my hypothesis that my lazy lifestyle of no exercise except walking is actually superior 😆

Same!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It might mask symptoms, like they write off symptoms like stomach problems and weight loss and exhaustion as the side effects of running. And they might have worse outcomes when diagnosed because a lot of true distance runners aren’t a healthy weight; rather, they’re clinically underweight.

This is probably part of it.

Long distance running is also extreme and stresses the body.

There’s also a lot of crazy people in the running community who think it’s beneficial to regularly do things like “starvation runs” or “bonk runs” (running past the point of hitting the wall).

[Anonymous]

I’m no expert but I’d guess any form of extreme exercise stresses the body, temporarily increasing inflammation and decreasing resistance to illness.

[Anonymous]

I had a science teacher in high school who was a marathon runner and he died in his late 40s of skin cancer because he never took sun protection seriously in all his hours long outdoor running sessions. Plus serious runners always seem to take a lot of supplements. I think there’s a lot at play here but honestly - the people I know or know of who got colon cancer in their 50s or younger did tend to be very “fit” types.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m no expert but I’d guess any form of extreme exercise stresses the body, temporarily increasing inflammation and decreasing resistance to illness.

Long distance running is linked to acute kidney issues, so it's believable.

No one's saying not to work out, just that extreme exercise can cause some damage.

[Anonymous]

Before anyone says we are trying to blame the victim, colon cancer runs in my family despite no gene mutations identified so far, so this interests me. I also know 2 running enthusiasts who are colon cancer survivors and some of the people i follow on IG with colon cancer are marathon runners.

Here are my thoughts about caution or correlations:
-As other posts point out, perhaps some push too hard to the point of inflammation. I definitely know people like that. I know a runner who even with the flu or a bad case of covid had to be begged by her husband to stop running and she would not.

-Some runners have a history of eating disorders so I wonder if there is some link there.

-The crap some runners use as snacks along the run for quick energy is filled with chemicals that are probably terrible for the gut

-Some runners are into healthy eating, others eat a ton of junk and use running to burn. I wonder if those who developed cancer were more likely to eat crap or pseudo healthy energizing snacks and protein snacks.

-

[Anonymous]

Interesting. My friend in her 40s was recently diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. She’s a marathon runner. I would go with the masking symptoms concept but who knows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ehh, if that's the way I go out, so be it. They can pry my running shoes from my cold dead feet.

How many do you think would actually prevent you from running? It's your life why would I care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m no expert but I’d guess any form of extreme exercise stresses the body, temporarily increasing inflammation and decreasing resistance to illness.

Long distance running is linked to acute kidney issues, so it's believable.

No one's saying not to work out, just that extreme exercise can cause some damage.

During really intense exercise sessions, the body will divert blood away from the digestive system muscles. There’s actually a condition called ischemic colitis which can develop in some distance runners as a result of this—the large intestine and colon don’t get enough blood.

[Anonymous]

Walking about one hour daily is best exercise over age 50 imho

[Anonymous]

So would this point to HS Cross Country being an issue, or not because distance is 5k?

[Anonymous]

What distances would make someone vulnerable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m no expert but I’d guess any form of extreme exercise stresses the body, temporarily increasing inflammation and decreasing resistance to illness.

Long distance running is linked to acute kidney issues, so it's believable.

No one's saying not to work out, just that extreme exercise can cause some damage.

During really intense exercise sessions, the body will divert blood away from the digestive system muscles. There’s actually a condition called ischemic colitis which can develop in some distance runners as a result of this—the large intestine and colon don’t get enough blood.

This is the path they should be looking down. I think running these arbitrary race distances puts a hard goal on runners and so they are over stressing their bodies again and again to meet these defined distances. I think running a few times per week and getting adequate rest is fine. But decades of rigid training will take a toll on the body. I know many runners with awful joint problems too.

My MIL on the other hand runs 20 mins per day on average at a modest pace and she is still doing it in her mid 60s.

[Anonymous]

I have been saying for years that extreme ANYTHING is bad and extreme exercisers just get a pass because their addiction is healthy. I know plenty of people who are balanced with fitness but I know a few people who have a really unhealthy relationship with it.