Run for your life! At a comfortable pace, and not too far: James O'Keefe at TEDxUMKC
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN cites it whenever people question whether more exercise is always better, especially extreme endurance running.
What it is
Cardiologist James O'Keefe argues in a TEDx talk that moderate running confers the best longevity benefits, while extreme endurance training can damage the heart. He draws on data and his own experience as a lifelong runner.
Recommended by 3 HN commenters across 5 different months, 2016 to 2026.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec browningstreet · 2025-09 · on “Why are so many young, fit, non-smoking women getting lung cancer?”
I think about this TED Talk from 2012 a lot.. and he presents some data. It changed some of my goals, and I’m a bit more multi-sport than I used to be. Run for your life! At a comfortable pace, and not too far: James O'Keefe at TED×UMKC [this video]
Recommends andrewstuart · 2018-09 · on “Extreme Athleticism Is the New Midlife Crisis”
Here's an interesting video if you are an extreme athlete: it is a cardiac researcher and lifelong exerciser who identifies that such exercise patterns damage the heart: [this video]
Recommends andrewstuart · 2020-10 · on “How to Live with Dying”
On the topic of how overexercise can damage the heart by James OKeefe, a cardiologist and lifetime obsessive runner: Notably he points out that they tested people blood after doing long distance events and found that many of them had chemicals usually found in heart attack victims, indicating heart damage. Basically he says that the long term overexercise/heart damage means the heart muscle constantly has microtears which heal up and the healed tissue is scar tissue which is hard and not like normal heart tissue - much harder and less elastic. So people who overtrain end up with a heart much older than their physical age. [this video] Transcript: [LINK] Another video: [LINK] And from another auth
Recommends twawaaay · 2022-11 · on “Aerobic exercise can reduce the risk of metastatic cancer in mice: study”
I believe running your heart at such high intensity every day isn't particularly healthy. It causes scarring of the heart tissue and possible problems as you age. I think watching this Ted might be helpful: [this video]
Recommends browningstreet · 2024-11 · on “Five minutes of exercise a day could lower blood pressure”
This guy looked at longevity stats for runners. He recommends running a little, not a lot. 2012 TEDx Talk: [this video]
Cites Matrixik · 2016-02 · on “Dead Men Write No Code”
As always some of something is great does not mean more of it is better: "Run for your life! At a comfortable pace, and not too far: James O'Keefe at TEDxUMKC" [this video]
Cites ljhsiung · 2021-05 · on “The Animal Is Tired”
Numerous studies show that exercise provides U-shaped benefits to health [1], [2]. Specific to cardiovascular disease, repeat marathon runners [3] have higher calcium buildup than those who do not run in marathons, which as Robin might say, is one of those cases where the animal is driven too hard. While you have a point for extreme exertion, I'm not sure what you mean by "lazy". Current general recommendations are 150 minutes a week, or <30 minutes a day [4], which definitely falls underneath moderate exercise. I don't think "no one" is ignoring these recommendations (or, at least, they agree with them-- few people follow them :^)). As for your grandpa's longevity-- your genetics is just a
Cites anonymouse94759 · 2022-03 · on “I am the healthiest person I know, and I got cancer”
>My uncle was a professional national level runner Running long distances regularly isn't healthy: [this video] Multiple studies have found a U-shaped curve of CAC scores as a function of regular running distance/intensity: [LINK] Conclusion A significantly higher rate of coronary artery calcification existed in long-term marathon, ultramarathon, and extreme runners than in submarathon runners. Marathoners and ultramarathoners also had a higher incidence of calcification, as well as higher average plaque burden, as compared to a standard database. Marathoners and ultramarathoners also had above-average coronary calcium scores as compared to a national database. Other forms of endurance exercise (