Los Angeles, Apr 5 (IANS): Walking with moderate speed using the same energy as intensive running can be beneficial in reducing high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes risks, says a study.

The findings, reported in the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, was based on analysis of 33,060 runners in the National Runners' Health Study and 15,045 walkers in the National Walkers' Health Study.

The researchers found that the same energy used for moderate intensity walking and vigorous intensity running resulted in similar reductions in high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and coronary heart disease over six years of the study, reports Science Daily.

"Walking and running provide an ideal test of the health benefits of moderate-intensity walking and vigorous-intensity running because they involve the same muscle groups and the same activities performed at different intensities," said lead author Paul T. Williams.

"The more the runners ran and the walkers walked, the better off they were in health benefits. If the amount of energy expended was the same between the two groups, then the health benefits were comparable," added Williams, staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Life Science Division in Berkeley, California.