Do's and don'ts of running, the common misconceptions - Natasha Eekhout (Paladin Biokineticists)

How hard can running really be? You’ve stretched out, trained your core and finally ready to put your fancy kit on with your ultimate running shoes and hit the road, voila! However has all your training leading up to your run really made a huge difference on your performance?

Stretching and flexibility

We’ve all seen that one runner stretching out those tight biltong strips we call hamstrings but how much does that really help. Initially stretching was seen as a performance enhancer however, recent research shows that it may just hinder it. This all has to do with neuromuscular factors nevertheless, this also depends on the types of stretches performed, static or dynamic. (Have a read through our blog discussing these two). This goes hand in hand with flexibility. The more flexible you are the lower your running economy, due to negative impacts on the stretch shortening cycle.

Distance running strengthens your legs

Actually this isn’t the case. In general, running will either decrease your absolute strength or just keep it, there have been no noted increases as of yet.

Lactate causes fatigue

Lactic acid is produced when the muscles break down glucose during strenuous muscular activity. It is commonly seen as a waste product. Although lactate may correspond with fatigue, it is not the cause and is actually present to delay the onset of fatigue and provide your body with a source of energy.

How important is core strength for running?

It’s good to have a strong core to help with general stability and decrease back pain, however its effects on running performance haven’t really hit the research books, as many runners haven’t really noticed major differences.

You shouldn’t be crashing on the floor after a race?

Nope this one ain’t correct either. So instead of standing around with your hands on your head, like you’ve been advised to, to try ‘recuperate and gather your energy,’ listen to your tired body and give into those jelly legs. Your body needs a break and is battling to pump blood against gravity.

With all of the above stated, it’s up to you and how your body feels. If you’re keen on sticking to your routine or happy to change it up, that’s completely up to you. The main focus is to improve your economy and overall training performance for a great healthy running stride.

Does stretching before, after or at all affect you in the ‘long run?’ - Natasha Eekhout (Paladin Biokineticists)

Does stretching before, after or at all affect you in the ‘long run?’

Have you been advised to stretch before or after your run, but aren’t quite sure what the difference is? Experts surprisingly recommend neither, however it has been suggested that the type of stretching performed may ultimately lead to changes in your running economy.

As runners, I’m sure we’ve all seen the stereotypical image of a fellow runner with one foot on the curb, reaching their fingers down towards their toes and you seemingly feel the urge to do the same. However do you really know what the stretch is effective, or if in fact it is going to help your productivity?

The key points to stretching lies in the types of stretching performed. Research has demonstrated that static stretching i.e. the stretch held in position in order to lengthen the muscles and tendons, generally decreases both power output and strength. An example could include reaching down towards the toes and holding the position, ultimately disengaging the muscle before having them to activate immediately after. Static stretching has received mixed reviews especially from runners, as they feel their energy expenditure exceeds that of the same pace of run performed without stretching.

Research conducted in Brazil indicated that statically stretching before running had no effect on running economy, however participants felt as if they were working harder to complete their route than those who hadn’t stretched. Both groups of participants finished the route at relatively the same time. Researchers concluded that static stretching resulted in decreases in overall explosive force. However studies carried out by Nebraska Wesleyan University observed that those who statically stretched before activity had decreased their overall economy, due to the resulting inhibition of muscle tissue excitability.

As opposed to static stretching, dynamic stretching i.e. the stretch one actively moves through and does not hold in the end position, increases blood flow and functional movement. Examples may include leg swings and butt kicks. These mobility movements allow one to warm up the muscles efficiently and recruit more muscle fibers to activate systematically through specific movement. Dynamic stretching routines aid in training specific muscles, allowing for easy firing in the run to follow and has in recent studies improved mileage in some runners.

Contradicting research shows that stretching in its’ entirety is unnecessary, as a tighter muscle is a better muscle, having more recoil power than a muscle that has been overly stretched.

So in short, the answer to the question actually depends on the individual. If you believe that static stretching will aid in the ‘long run,’ then you are most welcome to do so. However why perform something that may ultimately result in slower starting speed and having you put in the extra effort when you don’t have to. If you must, rather perform static stretching at the end of your run and dynamic stretching before your run to get the muscles ready and waiting to be called upon. Whatever your decision, listen to your body and take notes on the effects and end results of your running
economy.

Natasha completed her BSc Sports Science undergraduate degree at The University of Johannesburg and her BHSc honours degree in Biokinetics at The University of the Witwatersrand.

She has a passion for a variety of sports in particular soccer, tennis, running and kickboxing which have contributed to a strong interest in orthopaedic rehabilitation and working with athletes. Other areas of focus include diabetic and cardiac rehabilitation, as well as weight loss and a keen enthusiasm for working with children of all ages.

Natasha can be contacted on 082 476 9727 or natashaeekhout@kinetics.co.za

Those toughie tight Hamstrings… by Bianca Bunge (Biokineticist)

Do you and your Hamstrings have a long and troubled relationship? 

Do you feel your lower back silently curse you when you bend over to pick something up and your unwilling Hamstrings just won’t let you go any further – so your back is left to carry the burden? 

Does the thought of touching your toes seem absurdly out of the question? 

And attempting to lift both your legs straight up to a perpendicular 90 degrees without bending your knees seem beyond insane? 

Have you answered YES to all of these questions?? Well, then welcome to the short Hamstrings club! 

So, why and what exactly has caused this gold member status to be so generously bestowed upon you?? Well, it could be due to a variety of different reasons, but for now I’m going to look at 2 main theories.

The first theory I would like to call ‘the use it or lose it principle’. By this I mean what we do with our bodies most of the time far trumps and massively outweighs what we try and do with our bodies some of the time. So what exactly do I mean by this? 

Your collective group of Hamstrings basically consists of three individual muscles biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus that perform different functions, the main one being bending your knee. And if you really start thinking about how often you bend your knees you actually start to feel sorry for those poor Hamstrings. 

But the important factor to consider is not only how often you bend your knees but the length of time you do this for. Yes, drum roll please, the culprit = sitting for long periods of time! And now enter those long 8-10 hour working days being chair-bound and chained to a desk, basically resulting in your Hamstrings being contracted (due to your knees being  constantly bent) for the bulk of your day, and then you get into your car and take on that long traffic filled drive home, and guess what, more knee bending, then you get home on flop onto the couch, oh no , knees are flexed again, so I’m sure you’re starting to see the trend here. 

And then we spend 40-90 minutes in the gym trying to lengthen and stretch out our Hamstrings and actually expect them to comply? Well, unfortunately that’s not going to happen. You can’t contract them all day long and expect them to get longer. And you know what the ironic thing is about the whole story? 

Your body actually thinks it’s helping you by shortening your Hamstrings for you, how crazy does that sound? Yes, the body is a complex yet magnificent thing. Basically when you spend countless days and hours on end in a particular position, with particular muscles in a contracted, and therefore shortened state (contracted Hamstrings in a seated position) your sarcomeres (which are the basic contractile units of your muscles) actually change at a cellular level in a way that makes it easier for you to do more of what you are already doing (therefore, remain seated). 

So what exactly is the solution here? Well, basically to move around with more normal Hamstring length more frequently. It’s your job and sole duty to remind your sarcomeres at what length they should actually be at, to take full advantage of natural movement more frequently (like running, walking, bending etc.). So get up, stretch out, and move around – and do this A LOT more than you are currently doing it!

The next theory is called the ‘Emergency brake theory’. So we’ve all done this before, we put our foot flat on the petrol, put pedal to the metal and we’re just not going anywhere, only to realize we’ve forgotten to release our emergency brake, oops! So, how exactly does this principle apply to your Hamstrings? Your ability to stretch is actually determined by your nervous system’s tolerance to that range. 

This basically means that it is your Nervous system that gives you that firm end range when you’re stretching a particular part of your body and it just won’t go any further. So why exactly does this happen? 

Well, in simple terms it’s your body pulling up its’ emergency brake. In terms of the Hamstrings acting as the emergency brake, this can either be due to the range you are moving into feels unfamiliar, loss of intrinsic support from the deeper layers of musculature and fascia, and various compensatory patterns have determined that certain parts of the body  (A.K.A the Hamstrings) need to function as the emergency brake due to other parts or muscles not being ready or able to do their job, and therefore the 

Hamstrings are at the ready to jump in and save the day – the Nervous system therefore makes a conscious decision to pull up the emergency brake as a sort of protection mechanism. 

The most important rule to apply here is what I like to call the Goldilocks principle – not too much, not too little but just the right amounts! 

Don’t just force yourself into a forward fold with the pure determination to touch your toes RIGHT NOW, because you will be stopped right in your tracks. Work into it, ease into it, remind them they need to be lengthened, and do so OFTEN! 

Soon it will be happy days in Hamstring land!

 By: Bianca Bunge.