You've heard it a thousand times: "Running destroys your knees." It intuitively makes sense—friction, load, wear and tear. But here is the thing: you aren't a car, and your joints aren't tires. In this episode, we dive into a massive meta-analysis of over 114,000 people that suggests recreational running might actually protect your knees from arthritis. We'll break down the specific mileage where the risk flips, why "just slowing down" might be bad advice, and the practical "big rocks" you need to keep running for life. Let's get into it.

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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro: Welcome & The "Wear and Tear" Myth
02:16 - The "Car Tire" Fallacy: Why You Aren't a Machine
02:49 - The Data: What 114,000 Runners Tell Us
03:23 - Sedentary vs. Recreational vs. Elite Runners
04:03 - The Limit: When Running Becomes Destructive (57 Miles/Week)
04:39 - The Sponge Analogy: Inflammation & Metabolic Health
06:29 - Why "Just Slow Down" Can Hurt Your Knees
07:50 - The 3 Real Causes of Knee Arthritis
08:47 - Action Step 1: The 10% Rule
10:10 - Action Step 2: Strength is Non-Negotiable
10:51 - Action Step 3: The Cadence Check
11:25 - The 24-Hour Pain Rule
12:52 - Disclaimer

SELECTED REFERENCES:
https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2017.7137
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6395418/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2556152/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18550323/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22729505/

*Disclaimer*
This podcast is for entertainment, education, and informational purposes only.
The topics discussed should not solely be used to diagnose, treat , or prevent any condition.
The information presented here was created with an evidence based approach, but you please keep in mind that science is always changing and at the time of listening to this there may some new data that makes this information incomplete or inaccurate.
Always seek the advice of your personal physician or qualified health care provider for questions regarding any medical condition.