Some interesting new research is out on the effects of running. Some of the findings will make you want to dig your waffle trainers out of the closet. Other findings may explain a thing — or ache — or two.
For instance, if you thought Forest Gump was nuts, in fact, he may have been on to something with his cross-country jaunts. A study of 44 runners taking part in the 4,500-kilometer 2009 TransEurope-FootRace (in case you’ve forgotten, the 2009 TEFR began in southern Italy on April 19, 2009, and ended in Norway on June 21 of that year) explains some phenomena that may survive even accomplished runners. The runners who agreed to participate in the study all had their blood, urine and biometric data (whole-body volume, body fat, visceral fat, abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue and fat and skeletal muscle of the lower extremities) collected daily. Some also slid into an MRI (“the gold standard for the evaluation of the musculoskeletal system of the runner,” according to the study) every three or four days. From all this poking and prodding researchers made some general findings: