Questions Concerning Running, Runners, and Public Health

Many questions come to mind concerning running and runners and public health.

Here are a few.

1. Why do runners live an estimated 2 to 2.5 years longer than non-runners?

2. Why are runners rarely overweight?

3. Among runners do they have the same incidence of the following problems compared to non-runners that so far the causes of which are basically unknown? Muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, amelanotic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimers disease?

4. Why do women runners have so much less breast cancer than nonrunners?

5. Why do runners have so much stronger bones than non-runners?

6. Why do runners have less atherosclerosis and therefore fewer strokes and coronary and cardiac artery disease?

7. Why do runners have more HDL (good) cholesterol than non-runners?

8. Why do runners have lower blood pressure than non-runners?

9. Do running women have fewer children who develop Autism than non-running women?

10. Why do runners have better immune systems than non-runners?

11. Does running enhance the production of endomorphins, serotonin, androgens, estrogens such as oxytocin, ghrelin, and the enzyme troponin and many others?

12. Is there an advantage of the profound sleep that comes to those who exercise as with running and with no insomnia?