Yes, regular running can keep arteries younger. It lowers aortic stiffness and central blood pressure in healthy adults.
Arterial stiffness means the aorta loses stretch with age. The aorta is the large artery that carries blood from the heart. According to the UCL team behind the UCL study record, that stiffening raises cardiovascular risk even in healthy people.
Medical information disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified health professional about symptoms, medications, tests, or treatment decisions.
Table of Contents
- What changes when you train for months?
- How large is the blood-pressure benefit?
- Who gains the most?
- How do you keep arteries younger for years?
What changes when you train for months?
In 138 healthy untrained adults ages 21 to 69, about six months of London Marathon training reduced central blood pressure and aortic stiffness. Weekly distance averaged only 6 to 13 miles.
The program raised descending-aorta distensibility by 9 to 16%. Distensibility measures how well the aorta expands with each heartbeat. The authors equated the change to roughly a four-year reduction in biological aortic age, as detailed in the UCL full study PDF.
How large is the blood-pressure benefit?
That training lowered central systolic pressure by about 4 mmHg and diastolic pressure by about 3 mmHg. A separate young novice-marathon group showed a similar pattern.
Whole-aorta pulse-wave velocity fell 0.2 m/s in that group. Peripheral and central blood pressure fell about 4/2 mmHg. For runners, small central-pressure drops matter because the aorta feeds the heart, brain, and kidneys directly.
Who gains the most?
People with stiffer arteries at the start gained most. According to reporting on the study by MedicalXpress on the UCL and British Heart Foundation work, the largest improvements occurred in older, slower male runners with higher baseline pressure.
That pattern is encouraging for beginners. You do not need fast times to see vascular change. Consistency across months counts more than pace.
How do you keep arteries younger for years?
Think in years, not one race. Stopping erases much of the gain. As reported in long-term follow-up summarized in the Journal of the American Heart Association archive, former high-class male athletes years after retirement showed the same age-related stiffening as men who never trained.
- Run most weeks at an easy, repeatable effort
- Build gradually toward a steady base you can maintain
- Track morning consistency more than single long runs
- Return promptly after illness, travel, or a break
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