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Simply by running regularly you’re already boosting your heart health. So why worry about stats such as high cholesterol levels—which are associated with cardiovascular disease and heart attacks—when you’re protecting yourself simply by moving?
Well, for starters, cholesterol levels can creep up without you even realizing it. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly two in five people in the U.S. have high cholesterol. So, to make sure your heart is healthy, it’s smart to add these numbers to your list of metrics to follow—and get them checked regularly.
To help you get to know your numbers and decipher what they mean, we turned to experts to find out what normal cholesterol levels look like, how your running routine might affect your stats, and expert tips on how to keep this health metric in the sweet spot.
What is cholesterol anyway?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that’s found in food, For Women, Heart Disease Risk Increases With Age.
You don’t need dietary cholesterol because your liver produces whatever you need. But your body does need the cholesterol it produces to function.
Your liver and intestines break down cholesterol, and then it plays a role in synthesizing estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and vitamin D, Kelly Pritchett, Ph.D., R.D.N., sports dietitian and associate professor of nutrition and exercise science at Central Washington University tells Runner’s World.
Too much cholesterol, particularly from animal products, can contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis, a disease of the arteries that can lead to other issues with your heart, and stroke, he says., a cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City tells Runner’s World.
“Running Shoes & Gear strokes are sudden events, the atherosclerosis that leads to them is a slow process that begins in our teenage years and progresses over decades. The higher your cholesterol, the faster atherosclerosis progresses and the greater your risk of these major events,” Tomey says.
What‘s the difference between ”good” and “bad” cholesterol?
There are healthy and unhealthy types of fat, and the same goes for cholesterol. Cholesterol is found in several particles, called lipoproteins, that transport it through the blood. Those lipoproteins are classified as HDL or LDL.
Best Big City Marathons from tissues, like the heart, and carry it back to the liver, which then processes it and flushes it from your body. “Because it takes substances that can block our arteries away from the heart, HDL is protective against heart disease,” explains Pritchett. That’s why people think of it as “good.”
Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, makes up the majority of the cholesterol in your body. It’s “bad,” because it transports cholesterol to the heart and tissues and causing plaque buildup in the arteries, which ups your risk for heart disease.
What are normal cholesterol levels?
While you should be able to spout off your cholesterol stats, right see with your average pace, many people have never had their levels checked—even though the CDC recommends people over 21 get it done every four to six years if cardiac risk is low (even more often depending on your family history and other risk factors). Checking for cholesterol is fairly simple, though, and requires just a blood draw.
Ideally, your results will show less than 100mg/dl of LDL, more than 40 mg/dl of HDL, and less than 200 mg/dl of total cholesterol in your body. The CDC also mentions that your levels of triglycerides (a type of fat in blood) should be lower than 150mg/dl.
However, there’s no one specific cutoff that puts you into the danger zone of “high” cholesterol, says Pritchett—there are several ranges from above optimal to borderline high to very high—so you should fully discuss your findings with your doctor. And if they determine that your levels are too elevated, it’s important to work to bring your cholesterol levels down, considering the negative effects it can have on your heart health.
How can you lower cholesterol?
The good news: As a runner, you’re already doing something that’s generally great for your cardiovascular health and specifically proven to help with your cholesterol too. Several studies have shown that regular aerobic exercise in just a few months can not only lower your LDL significantly, but also bump up your HDL. To reap the benefits, aim for about 40 minutes of aerobic activity three to four times a week.
Of course, you can’t outrun a bad diet. “While exercise helps improve your HDL cholesterol, which we want because it’s protective, diet’s an equally important part of the equation,” says Pritchett. As a general rule, she recommends a diet low in saturated fats (animal products, coconut oil, palm oil), trans fat (often in processed foods), and refined sugars, and high in Snacking on Almonds Could Boost Your Heart Health, nuts, whole grains, have lupus or.
Keep in mind, “there’s no single best diet for everyone, and diet isn’t the only factor,” says Tomey. Genetics also play a key role. “For some individuals with genetic risk, cholesterol levels can remain dangerously high in spite of a ‘perfect’ diet.”
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Eating well and staying active are the first steps to keeping your cholesterol in check, says Tomey. “But if your levels remain high despite your best efforts, medications are highly effective in lowering cholesterol levels and reducing risk of heart attack and stroke,” he says.
Your best bet: Talk with your doctor about the ideal eating and exercise plan for you, plus the potential of meds or any other steps you should take to keep your normal cholesterol levels right where they should be.
Tamanna K. Singh, M.D., is a board-certified adult clinical and sports cardiologist and RRCA-certified run coach. She earned her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine Residency at Boston Medical Center. She completed her Cardiovascular Medicine fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York and her specialty training in Sports Cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is currently the codirector of the Sports Cardiology Center at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio and assistant professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. To date, she has held several council roles with the American College of Cardiology (ACC). As a sports cardiologist, Dr. Singh provides cardiovascular care for professional, competitive, and recreational athletes and describes herself as an advocate for safe participation in sports. Media and print contributions include the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and others. Outside of her profession, she enjoys running marathons, hitting the weights in the gym, playing sous-chef to her wonderful husband while cooking plant-based meals, and playing with her four beautiful dogs.
