{"id":2286,"date":"2025-04-23T13:58:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T11:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/energy.golazo.com\/sportslab\/?p=2286"},"modified":"2025-05-30T14:53:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T12:53:43","slug":"fact-or-fiction-running-on-asphalt-is-bad-for-your-joints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/energy.golazo.com\/sportslab\/en\/fact-or-fiction-running-on-asphalt-is-bad-for-your-joints\/","title":{"rendered":"Fact or fiction: \u201cRunning on asphalt Is bad for your joints\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Fact or fiction: \u201cRunning on asphalt Is bad for your joints\u201d<\/h1>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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Running remains a popular sport. It\u2019s accessible, great for your health, and you can do it almost anywhere. Still, many runners believe that running on asphalt is bad for your joints.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve probably heard it before: \u201cRunning on asphalt? That\u2019ll ruin your knees.\u201d But is that really true? Is asphalt really that damaging to your body, or is there more nuance to the story?<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t

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What many runners believe<\/h2>\n

Asphalt is hard. So, it must be bad for your joints, right? It seems logical, but it\u2019s not that simple. Research and real-life experience show that the surface is only one of many factors that influence your joints \u2014 and certainly not the biggest culprit.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t

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The real causes of injuries<\/h2>\n

The main causes of running injuries are building up your training load too quickly and running at a pace that’s too fast for your current level. Your body needs time to adapt to the impact of running. If you train too much or run too fast, tendons, muscles, and joints can become overstrained.<\/p>\n

According to Thijs Dekiere, expert coach at Golazo Energy, the issue isn\u2019t the surface, but how you handle it:<\/p>\n

\u201cImpact sports like running actually strengthen your tendons and joints,\u201d he explains. \u201cInjuries usually happen due to a too rapid increase in training volume \u2014 not because you\u2019re running on asphalt.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other words, if your body isn\u2019t used to the impact of running yet and you ramp up your load too quickly, you\u2019re at risk of overuse injuries \u2014 even on a soft surface.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\t

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Smart progression is key<\/h2>\n

Want to protect your joints better? The way you build up your training is far more important than the surface you\u2019re running on. The best approach remains: build up gradually and add variety to your runs.<\/p>\n

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A few guidelines:<\/p>\n