RELATIONSHIP OF RUNNING TO MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN WITH AGE - A 6-YEAR LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

Objective. To determine, by longitudinal study, whether long-distance running, maintained for many years, is associated with increased muscu loskeletal pain with age. Methods. A 5-year prospective longitudinal s tudy of 410 runners' club members and 289 community controls, age 53-7 5 years at study initiation, was conducted, Subjects were also categor ized as ever-runners (n = 488) and never-runners (n = 211). The primar y dependent variable was pain score as indicated on a horizontal doubl e-anchored analog scale; data for this variable were available beginni ng in 1987, Statistical adjustment for age, education level, smoking, alcohol consumption, history of arthritis, and presence of other major medical conditions was done by analysis of covariance, Further analys es of previously reported associations of regular vigorous physical ac tivity with decreased disability and mortality after 9 years were perf ormed. Results. The degree of musculoskeletal pain was slightly lower in the exercise group compared with controls, and the difference was s tatistically significant for women but not for men, Average adjusted p ain scores for men were 18.3 (SEM 0.8) in runners' club members, 20.2 (1.2) in controls, 18.6 (0.8) in ever-runners, and 20.3 (1.6) in never -runners, For women, these scores were 17.5 (1.8) in runners' club mem bers versus 22.8 (1.4) in controls (P < 0.05), and 17.2 in ever runner s versus 23.7 (1.5) in never-runners (P < 0.002), Disability had conti nued to develop in runners' club members at a rate only one-third that in the controls after 9 years of observation, Mortality over 9 years consisted of 51 deaths, of which 41 were in the control group and only 10 were among runners' club members. Conclusion. Vigorous running act ivity over many years is not associated with an increase in musculoske letal pain with age, and there may be a moderate decrease in pain, par ticularly in women, Vigorous physical activity is associated with grea tly decreased levels of disability and with decreased mortality rates.