Can I influence the course of my macular degeneration myself by doing sports?

We are all the time asked by with macular degeneration affected persons whether physical movement and sports have an impact. We cannot answer this for sure but have looked into this topic, did research and found some interesting sources and information about the relation between sports and macular degeneration.

Sport and its effect on the human body

After years of research and often quite different opinions science meanwhile has come to a conclusion: Sport, as long as it is done regularly and especially at the beginning moderately, is healthy and strengthen the body in many aspects. This starts with the amount of air which is breathed in while doing sports increases and thus better supplies the body with oxygen. The heart beats slower and more regular, does pump more blood against a lower resistance of the muscle vessels and thus can, at a regular training, react quicker against exertion and supply the whole body and all organs more effective with oxygen.

Moreover a regular training lowers the fat share in the body and improves aside of the cholesterol level also the blood sugar level and the immune system. The risk of cancer, it is said, can be especially reduced at the large intestine, lung, breast and prostate. Just like that osteoporosis and other signs of age can effectively be prevented and through the reducing of cortisol stress is reduced and the body is able to better relax. This all, experts agree, increases the power and thus the general well being.

What do studies say about the relation of sports and macular degeneration?

An American research team around Paul T. Williams found out with a study with 29,000 male and 12,000 female runners that there is a connection between running and eye diseases. It is said that there is a relation between run kilometers and the risk of getting infected. Running could lower the risk of getting a cataract or macular degeneration. Furthermore it is said that with every run Kilometer the risk is reduced by 10 percent.

The risk of getting macular degeneration in people that run a lot and have a daily quota of over four Kilometers is reduced by 45 to 54 percent.

Another study with 4,000 inhabitants of the US city of Beaver Dam at Wisconsin showed that sports have a clear influence in getting macular degeneration. The research team declared that the physical exertion had a positive influence on the body cells as well as inflammation processes in the body and both was meaningful in getting a macular degeneration.

Our result - Recommendation

Unfortunately there are still relatively few studies, research and insights concerning macular degeneration and sports. It seems to give a clear context that movement can reduce the progression of eye disease and therefore of macular degeneration. Slow running makes probably more sense than performance-running. We consider it important to point out in respect of any sporting activity, its own individual physical boundaries and are not to overwhelm it. For massive physical excessive demands on the experience of interested parties also have negative effects appear on the course of macular degeneration can have.