Don’t Run into Trouble training for The London Marathon
With the confirmation of entries into the London marathon just around the corner, now is a good time, to save guard against incurring problems with your running schedule, by considering some of the detrimental side effects of increased training and then relate them to common injuries that we see as physiotherapists.
The aim of your training is to produce improvements in your physical, mental and skill capacity through a series of incremental overload tasks working on frequency duration and load. In this way, the body is stimulated to adapt and improve its performance.
The old school of thought that you need to train harder and longer to force the body to develop the greatest possible fatigue resistance, is doomed to failure, as the components of fitness i.e. strength speed and power need to be developed sympathetically with good planning.
So if you feel you are lagging behind on your training schedule, don’t be tempted to try and catch up. The amount of training you carry out plays a key role in determining your real injury risk. Studies have shown that the more miles you accrue each week the higher the chance of injury and one recent investigation found a marked upswing in injury risk above 40 miles of running per week.
Muscle stiffness caused by under –oxygenation of muscle tissue and lactic acid build up
In physiological terms this refers to the ratio between muscle resistance and the change in muscle length. Example: after carrying heavy shopping, how easy is it for you to straighten your arm? Often takes a few arm movements where you re-oxygenate the muscle to loosen up and feel as if you can fully straighten it. Muscle stiffness is directly related to an increase risk of muscle injury and so it is important to reduce muscle stiffness before you run.
Dynamic stretches as part of a 5-10 minute warm up (that is slow controlled movements through the full range of movement) are the most appropriate exercise for warming up and not static stretches. Muscle stiffness is different to muscle tightness. In physiological terms this is called the Peak Force of a muscle, which is the resistance felt when you take a muscle to the end of its range. After holding a stretch for some time, as in a static stretch, the peak force relaxes which helps to move the muscle further and increases muscle length. Why not perform a static stretch before you run? Research shows there is a decrease in muscle strength and coordination if you statically stretch a muscle and absolutely no evidence to support the old theory that they reduce the incidence of injuries.
Conclusion: static stretches of up to two minutes duration are ideal for post exercise and dynamic stretches as part of a warm up.
Consider routes you take and types of training you undertake so that if you are going straight into hill work or interval training where you will need to be properly warmed up and prepared. Never train if you are stiff from the previous effort. If the muscle is stiff, you are at risk from a muscle tear or a breakdown at the tendonous insertion.
Muscle weakness
Fatigued muscles do a poor job of protecting their associated connective tissues, increasing the risk of damage to bone cartilage tendons and ligaments. Two examples of leg muscles that if weakened will affect performance and put stress on joints and tendons are the gluteal muscles(buttocks) and the calf complex.
If you are experiencing any niggly pains in your back or legs as you get into training, it is worth consulting a physiotherapist to assess your problem and see if you need to be doing any additional strength work. She will also be able to give you a schedule for warm up and cool down.
Good luck
If you have a question concerning your preparations for the London Marathon or a local fun run please call us at The Physiotherapy Clinic on 01707 329910