Humans have been running since the beginning of time. Here are some interesting facts about running that might amaze you.
Interesting Facts About Running That Will Surprise You
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Researchers at the University of Utah started tracking the start and finish times of people running marathons.
They found that if you start running marathons at the age of 19, you will become faster year by year until you reach your peak at the age of 27.
After 27 years of age, however, you will be confronted with the harsh reality of losing your speed. You will become slower and slower and slower and slower… You get the picture. You will slow down until you are back to running the same speed that you were at age 19.
In other words, you reach your peak in about seven or eight years. After that, you gradually go back to your starting point.
The reversal takes 45 years. So that means that a 60-year-old can run as fast as their 19-year-old self.
You will see a huge difference in someone who goes from sedentary to active.
According to The Nurses’ Health Study, women who go from no activity at all to just one hour of activity per week can cut their risk of heart disease by almost half.
A study at St. Louis University has found that eating a baked beetroot prior to a race can help improve speed.
Maybe you have heard about the benefits of beetroots. Beetroots are mainly used for medicinal purposes such as treating liver disorders and can even suppress the development of some types of cancer.
Beetroots are a source of fiber and aid bowel function, which may help prevent constipation and improve cholesterol levels as well.
In his book, Inside Sports Psychology, Dr. Coastas Karageoghis confirms that music can boost running performance by up to 15 percent.
How much improvement you experience depends mostly on what type of runner you are. According to Dr. Karageoghis, there are two types of runners in general.
The first type are the “associators,” who tend to concentrate inward when they are running. The second type are the “dissociators,” who look for stimuli and distractions from the things around them. Most people are dissociators or somewhere in between.
If you are an associator, then music will not work very well for you since you will not be affected by it. If you are a dissociator, then the beat of the music can have an effect on your speed.
Two million years ago, humans started hunting animals for food without weapons, despite the fact that there are many stronger animals in the jungle.
So how did our ancestors hunt without weapons, strength, speed, or even claws?
The one advantage that humans had in the wilderness is sweating really well, better than any other mammal on earth.
When it comes to running long distances in hot conditions, humans come out on top.
For instance, a horse that runs five or six miles on a hot day will have to make a choice: breathe or cool off. The horse will not be able to do both, but a human being can. This ability helps us run long distances.
When we run, 26 bones, 33 joints, and 112 ligaments are working in our feet. That’s a lot, right? Aside from that, a whole network of nerves, tendons, and blood vessels are also in action.
US-based consumers bought the most pair of shoes per capita in 2013, according to a report by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA).
Each individual, including children, bought 7.5 pairs of shoes. Running/jogging shoe sales totaled $3.09 billion in 2013, which is about 2 percent more than the previous year ($3.04 billion in 2012).
“This is more than any other country in the world,” said AAFA CEO Juanita Duggan. “Apparel and footwear contributed a record $361 billion to the US economy in 2013, a bigger contribution than new cars, alcohol, toys, or practically any other industry has done.
“Ninety-eight percent of shoes sold in the US are imported mainly from China.”
A study by Rhode Island College suggests that aerobic exercises (particularly the ones that do not require any intellectual efforts) such as running before an important brainstorming meeting, can stimulate your creativity and keep your brain cells buzzing for a couple of hours afterward.
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is regarded as the fastest person ever timed. His top speed is 30 mph, with an average speed of 23.5 mph.
However, he cannot even catch a squirrel.
Women were banned from participating in marathons before the 1980s. Medical science assumed that if a woman attempted to run 26 miles, her uterus would be torn.
So it has only been 30 years since women were allowed to run marathons.
Recent research shows that stretching before a run may not be helpful to your workout. Stretching before going for a run makes a runner’s body less capable; therefore, you should only warm up your body before running.
Doing exercise requires planning, attention, dedication, and discipline. Running contributes not only to your health, but also to the development of your character and personal growth.
Exercising regularly improves goal-setting skills, organization, and discipline – both at work and in other areas of life.
Bottom Line
There are many more interesting facts about running out there. However, we find the ones we mentioned particularly interesting and impressive.
Running is and has always been an integral part of human life. It is incredible how running can challenge and change your life. Running improves health, relieves stress, prevents diseases, and eliminates depression. It is also a great activity for losing weight.