Mixed
Participation in running is associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality compared to non-running, regardless of the specific dose or volume of running.
Start running, even if it's just once a week for less than 50 minutes. You do not need to run fast, long, or frequently to gain significant protection against all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. The key is participation, not perfection or high volume.
Our meta-analysis showed that running participation is associated with 27%, 30% and 23% lower risk of all-cause... cardiovascular... and cancer... mortality, respectively, compared with no running.
Why this rating
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 prospective cohort studies with a large pooled sample (N=232,149), though observational data limits causal inference compared to RCTs.
Source
Is running associated with a lower risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, and is the more the better? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Željko Pedišić et al. · British Journal of Sports Medicine · 2019
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →