Tag: running research

Hopping May Be The Secret To Unlocking A New PR: Here’s Why 

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn marathon training, runningLeave a comment

One exercise I’ve been frequently adding to the end of my running clients’ strength and cross training training circuits is hopping. While it may seem a little silly to bop up and down after a series of heavy-weight deadlifts, I have my reasons. The act of running is actually a series of one-legged hops, done repeatedly over and over again — so if hopping is uncomfortable or difficult for someone, it may be a sign that they are not quite ready to run (and they’re definitely not ready to up their mileage or intensity). I also think it’s a good exercise to increase power, practice adequate shock absorption, and provide an alternative calf workout to the much-loved heel raise.

Hopping exercise may also directly translate to improved running economy, according to a new study  published in Scientific Reports. The randomized controlled trial investigated how five minutes of daily double-leg hopping exercises affected running economy in 34 amateur runners over six weeks. Loading was progressively increased by increasing hopping bouts by increments of 10, and decreasing rest time in between sets.

After six weeks, researchers noticed significant improvements in runners running at faster speeds (12 km/hr and 14 km/hour, which roughly translates to 7.6 and 8.6 miles per hour, or paces faster than an 8-minute mile). 

This study’s main takeaway was that short daily bouts–about 5 minutes–of hopping exercises can improve running economy in amateur runners.

To incorporate this into your own training, try this simple exercise:

  1. First, try balancing on your right leg for 30 seconds, and then your left. Pay special attention to any differences you may feel between the two.
  2. Next, jump up and down using both legs 10 times: Do not aim to jump incredibly high, instead, aim to land softly and have your feet work in sync.

If you feel any loss of balance or difficulty during those two quick exercises, it may be a sign to build up your strength, particularly in your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves. If you feel anything else suspect–like leakage–it may be time to schedule a visit with a pelvic floor physical therapist. 

If both of those exercises feel good, you can move on to:

  1. 10 x 10 bouts of double leg hops, with 10 seconds rest in between each set. Ending your strength training circuits or warming up for your runs with 10 x 10 bouts of double leg hops is a great place to start: As you get more comfortable and stronger, you can increase the number of sets, the number of hops in each set, the direction of hops (forward and back vs. side to side), the height of each hop (progressing to a tuck jump),  and eventually move on to single leg hops (5 x 10 bouts single leg hops with 10 seconds rest in between, and progress from there). 

Adding daily hops to your routine is a great example of a simple daily activity that can increase your running economy without reinventing the wheel.

Give it a try, and let me know how it goes!

Is Running Bad for Your Knees?

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn marathon training, running, The Boston Marathon, The New York City MarathonLeave a comment

Originally published at https://finishlinept.com/team-finish-line/runningmyth-knees/

Whether you’ve been running for 10 years or 10 days, you’ve likely gotten this question when disclosing your healthy habit: “But isn’t running BAD for your knees?” It can be hard to argue with individuals who’ve been listening to anti-running propaganda for their entire lives, but fortunately there’s plenty of research to disprove this myth.

Although running certainly puts stress on your joints — it’s a single limb hopping activity, after all — multiple studies have found that recreational running is not associated with an increased risk of knee osteoarthritis. In fact, multiple studies, including a 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis (AKA, a study that synthesizes data from a wide variety of other studies) found that running can actually be advantageous for your knees. By loading the knee joint during running, researchers believe you’re actually helping to facilitate nutrition penetrating into the cartilage of your knees while simultaneously squeezing out metabolic substances, like water. Since cartilage assists the movement between your bones, as well as absorbs shock and transfers load through your bones to reduce friction, this is an act of service for your joints that can actually help protect them. 

While this particular review did find that running has a short-term adverse effect on cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), a biomarker (or indicator) of osteoarthritis, this increase was only temporary, with levels returning to normal within 1 hour. No adverse effects were found on knee cartilage volume or thickness, which are both often affected by OA.

Although the 2021 systematic review was pretty conclusive (researchers combined and synthesized results from two randomized controlled trials and 13 cohort studies), other research exists to back up its results. A 2017 cross-sectional study taking into account 2637 community adults found no increased risk of knee osteoarthritis among self-selected runners compared to non-runners. Other studies have found that not only is running not harmful for individuals with osteoarthritis, but it can even be beneficial: A 2019 cohort study from the Osteoarthritis Initiative that analyzed over 1,000 adults over 50 with knee osteoarthritis found that not only was running not associated with longitudinal worsening of knee pain or structure degradation, but running also helped reduce pain in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. 

Of course, some individuals will experience knee pain throughout the course of their running career, as the knee is the most commonly injured body part in runners. But these injuries — including patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), iliotibial band friction syndrome (ITBFS), and patellar tendinopathy (PT) — are often due to overuse, muscular imbalances and weaknesses, and faulty biomechanics. Not only can these injuries typically be treated in an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy setting, but they’re also reversible. 

This evidence may seem confusing, and it’s normal to wonder how exactly a runner’s knees can withstand so much loading, so often. Some researchers think that in addition to providing nutrition to your joints and keeping cartilage healthy, your cartilage also goes through changes to keep up with your running habit. A study from 2020 suggests that medial knee cartilage likely adapts in runners as they age in order to withstand a lifetime of running — proving that runner’s knees aren’t “bad,” they’re just resilient.