3. Does running cause joint inflammation?
According to a study done by co-author Matt Seeley, an associate professor of exercise at Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah, he and fellow BYU colleagues, as well as Dr. Eric Robinson of Intermountain Healthcare, measured the typical knee joint fluid found in selected healthy men and women aged 18-35, both before running and after. They found that two markers they were looking for, two cytokines named GM-CSF and IL-15, actually decreased in the subjects after 30 minutes of running.4 This study indicates that for young and healthy individuals, running may help create an anti-inflammatory environment that may benefit joint health long-term. Of course, everyone’s body handles things differently. If you feel like running is causing inflammation in your knees, speak with your physician.