Jog on! Running does not lead to worse knee arthritis after all says new review

Published April 6, 2023

Runners do not seem to have more knee osteoarthritis than non-runners, says a large new analysis of the evidence in a leading orthopaedic journal.

A total of 17 studies, representing 7,194 runners and 6,947 non-runners, were compared. Overall, there was a “significantly higher prevalence” of knee pain in the non-runner group. Looking at scans, “multiple” studies showed no real difference in knee osteoarthritis among runners versus non-runners. One study even showed that non-runners were more likely to need knee replacement surgery than runners.

“I think you need to look at the overall health benefits of running, and not just the effects of running on the knee joint itself,” says Dr Matthew Kraeutler, who is involved in the work. “Runners are generally going to have a normal BMI and have an overall better state of health.”

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