Every Day, Every Year Strength Training Becomes More Important
With every year that passes, strength training becomes more important to your overall fitness program. That’s the conclusion from two recent studies, which confirm many others.
The first doesn’t say anything about improving your 5K or marathon times. But it contains an important message nonetheless. “It is evident that aged muscle displays delayed, prolonged, and inefficient recovery. These changes can be attributed to anabolic resistance, the stiffening of the extracellular matrix, mitochondrial dysfunction, and unresolved inflammation as well as alterations in satellite cell function.”
In other words, with advancing years, you need to double down on strength training. It contributes to “fostering healthy aging”--the essential first step to better performance.
The authors recommend that your program should consist of “both concentric and eccentric contractions.” Also: While you work hard at your strength training, you also need to allow sufficient recovery between sessions, especially as you age beyond 65. More at Cells with free full text.
A separate paper looked into differences in strength and biomechanics among female runners. It compared runners in their 20s with those in their 60s. This was important because “the relationship between age and running biomechanics specifically in female runners had not been well-studied prior to this research.”
The good news: While older runners are slower than younger ones, “there are no significant relationships between age and variables of running biomechanics.” That is, the older runners are able to maintain good running form.
However, the ladies don’t have a get-out-of-jail-free card. They do lose strength with age, and need specific exercise regimens to slow the loss. Particularly useful: isometric knee extension and hip abduction.
Conclusion: “Female runners should consider strength training, particularly the muscles of hip abduction and knee extension, to help mitigate age-related declines in muscle strength and physical function. In addition, plantarflexion and hip-extension strengthening may contribute to preserving running pace into middle- and older-age.” More at Old Dominion University with free full text.
Here’s Injury Prevention Advice That’s Smart, Simple, And Successful
You want to avoid injuries? Of course you do. We all do.
A new research paper offers a nice, simple prescription: Follow a training plan.
Almost any old plan. Because a high percentage of training plans, even those offered free from little-known websites and those cobbled together by Large Language Models (also known as Artificial Intelligence) are likely to follow certain important principles. These include gradual progression in weekly distance, hard/easy days, and a relative paucity of hard days (only 1 or 2 per week).
A recent study of 143 runners found that those “following a running schedule” had a 76% lower injury risk than those not using a schedule.
In agreement with virtually all other running injury studies, any prior injury increased likelihood of a future injury. Increased weekly running distance had a relatively small association with injury. The same was true of “obsessive passion,” which increased injuries by 11%, and “perfectionistic concerns” (+22%.) Supinated and pronated foot type increased injury risk from 3.5 to 4.5 vs normal foot type.
Conclusion: “Following a running schedule was a protective factor.” More at Sports Health.
An Easy And Surprising New Twist On Running “Doubles” For Increased Fitness
Every now and then you hear about someone’s training innovation, and think: “Doh, why didn’t I come up with that? It’s so simple.” This is one of those times.
Top runners, both elites and others who are methodically dedicated to getting better, sometimes run “doubles”--or twice-a-day workouts. For elites this is a regular practice. Others might try it several times a week.
Doubles have all kinds of hypothetical advantages, from the simple more-runs and more-miles, to the currently popular “double threshold” days of the so-called Norwegian System. But they also have an obvious drawback: In all likelihood, you have to get out of bed early for the day’s first effort.
But getting up early forces you to cut back on sleep time. And we all know that adequate sleep has soared very close to the top of “must do” training principles. Damn, it looks like there’s a Catch 22 to running “doubles.” As the authors of a new paper observe: “Chronic sleep loss over a season could result in impaired performance, as well as an increased risk of physical and mental illness.”
But then they come up with a smart alternative: Don’t get up so early. Don’t do your first workout at daybreak. Sleep as much as necessary before beginning your training for the day. This kind of strategy “shifting” could result in “dramatic benefits for some athletes.” More at Frontiers in Physiology with free full text.
Who Won the Shoe Race” At The U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials
It’s not often noted but super shoes first appeared at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles. Galen Rupp and Amy Cragg won the two races, both in Nike’s first super shoe, the Vaporfly.
In fact, before 2016, we didn’t use the term “super shoes.” They emerged from a dark hole.
Since then, shoe companies have often focused on the Marathon Trials to introduce their newest and presumably best shoes. In 2016, it seemed that Nike athletes had a clear advantage in the shoe department. Is that still true?
To judge from the 2024 results in Orlando, the answer is No. While Nike claimed two of the three Olympic spots on the men’s team, Puma snared two of three in the women’s race. Runners in Asics shoes also performed well, followed by Brooks and Adidas athletes.
As expected, the playing field seems to be getting more level in the super-shoe competition. An intriguing side note: Puma scored well almost exclusively with female runners. (So see the next item about how sex may affect shoe performance.) More at Run Outside.
Do Women Gain More From Super Shoes Than Men? (Yes!)
Researchers have been digging through data for several years now to determine if (and how much) super shoes improve running performance. They’ve looked in the lab, primarily at running economy. They’ve looked on the track, noting the fastest times. And they have looked on the roads.
Since Big Data always wants to be bigger, a new group has now analyzed the top 100 performances in every Olympic running event from the 100 meters to the marathon. They established 2016 (roads) and 2019 (track) as the starting points for widespread super shoe use. (The shoes are often called “Advanced Footwear Technology” in scientific papers.)
Result: The improvements were lowest in the sprints (under 1%), medium in the middle distances (just over 1%), and greatest from 5000 meters through the marathon (around 2% on average.) In all events females gained more than men. For example, at the longer distances, females gained up to 3.5% vs a top gain of 1.4% for men.
This could help explain the dramatic drop in the female marathon world-record--down to Tigist Assefa’s 2:11:53 in Berlin last September. But it also begs an explanation: What’s going on here?
The researchers could not explain the sex difference. They offered only that “women’s specific anthropometrics and biomechanics appear to benefit more from current AFT designs.” More at Sports Medicine - Open with free full text.
Add Cranberries To The Dark Red Foods That Might Boost Performance
I’m not surprised that the first study to measure the effects of cranberries on running performance produced a positive result. After all, other dark/bright red foods like beets and tart cherries have often been found to do the same. All are rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, and flavonols--plant substances thought to have many health-enhancing benefits.
Cranberries rank near the top for these substances. Furthermore, according to this new paper: “Their polyphenol content stands out because of the high concentration in rare A-type PAC, which is believed to be the main contributor to their beneficial effects.” Okay, enough of the fruity nutritional jargon.
To test the impact of cranberries on endurance, researchers asked a group of veteran, well-trained runners to consume a cranberry drink for 28 days. Before and after this period, the runners completed time-trials at 1500 meters and 400 meters.
They improved by 14 seconds on average in the 1500, dropping from 5:21 to 5:07. There was no change in 400-meter times, although the cranberry drink “buffered the post-exercise lactate response.”
Conclusion: “The faster time to completion of the 1500-m time trial was associated with a 1.5% increase in speed, which is important for competitive runners.”
The study was not funded by a cranberry company, although the researchers received a free supply of a freeze-dried cranberry mix. Also, the time-trials could not be “blinded,” as the drink had a distinctive taste. More at More at Physical Activity and Nutrition with free full text.
Tired Of Black Toenails? Here’s A Solution
Have you ever had a dreadful case of “subungual hematoma?” Yeah, I had to look it up, too. It means, loosely, “black toenail.” Usually caused by a blood blister under the nail.
Yes, I’ve plenty, especially after the Boston Marathon. And I’ve seen them on many other runners’ feet. Not a pretty sight.
Here’s what happens: You’re running. Your front foot hits the ground. Your shoe stops moving on the ground because of the friction between a good outsole and the surface below. However, your foot keeps slipping forward inside that stationary shoe. In fact, your toes may smash into the front of the shoe, particularly on steep downhill stretches.
Bam-bam-bam, you’ve got a subungual hematoma. To learn more about these ugly little beasties, a research team recently investigated the causes of black toenails. They measured various runner foot conditions before and after 10K of running.
Result: Ball-of-foot width and arch height both decreased substantially, while foot temperature increased. These changes “would exacerbate foot-shoe interaction, potentially responsible for bruised toenail injuries.”
What can you do to avoid problems? The researchers offer some advice. But it’s more likely to land you a foot-modeling job than a new personal best. “Runners are advised to consider adjusting their footwear, particularly around the 10 km mark. This may involve changing to athletic socks that keep the foot dry and cool, ensuring the lacing is tight enough to prevent forward sliding without restricting circulation, and selecting a shoe with a high and long anterior toe box to allow unrestricted toe movement and minor forward slippage.” More at Nature.
How Much Would You Run For Free Burritos? Or A $100 Running Certificate?
I try to keep 95% of the items in this newsletter focused on scientific studies and authoritative articles from the best sources. That’s what most interests me, and it’s what draws subscribers to RLRH.
That said, it’s impossible to skip important news like Kelvin Kiptum’s death, below. Also, you gotta have a little fun every once in a while.
That’s why I’m including two short summaries of unusual (and very smart) marketing efforts by running-related companies. First, Strava recently announced that it would be awarding free Chipotle burritos to the runners who complete Strava “segments” (each about 300 meters long) during the month of January. In Washington, D.C., the very persistent winner covered the local segment 1345 times. “It was quite a time out there in the rain, sun, snow, and icicles at all hours of the day and night,” he said. More at Marathon Handbook.
Also, the running apparel and shoe company, Tracksmith, is awarding a $100 credit to any runner (not a newbie) who sets a personal record (including an age-group PR) in a standard track or running event before April 30th of this year. I wonder what they’ll give to my friend, 75-yr-old Jeannie Rice, who has already broken her age-group world record for the half marathon in 2024?
I can’t wait for TrackSmith to announce the overall results of this giveaway later in the year. Here’s a great chance for all your amateur runners to turn professional. Just run faster than you ever have before. More at Tracksmith.
Kelvin Kiptum, Marathon World Record Holder, Dies In Kenyan Car Accident
There’s little I can add to the tragic news of Kelvin Kiptum’s death in a car accident in Kenya. Just 24, Kiptum ran his first three marathons in the last year, winning all in sensational fashion. In October, in the Chicago Marathon, he lowered the marathon world record to 2:00:35, including a 59:47 for the second 13.1 miles.
I can’t help but note the following: I have been driven over the roads near where Kiptum died. I was cowering in the back seat. “Reckless” does not begin to describe the driving I witnessed. I don’t understand the psychology behind what I experienced that day, but I will never forget the abject terror. Serious road accidents happen far too often in Kenya.
Others have noted that running prodigies Steve Prefontaine and Samuel Wanjiru also died at 24. To be young, gifted, and fast is not enough to guarantee a long life.
Kiptum’s passing is a huge loss to his family and friends, his country, and the world marathon community. We will always wonder what he might have achieved in the Paris Olympic Marathon and in other record-chasing attempts. More at Marathon Handbook.
SHORT STUFF You Don’t Want To Miss
>>> Unexpected sex-drug benefit: Male performance-enhancers linked to lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease
>>> “High”ly unlikely: CBD oil fails test for recovery and reduction of muscle soreness
GREAT QUOTES Make Great Training Partners
“A runner must run with dreams in his/(her) heart.”
--Emil Zatopek
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. See you again next week. Amby