Author: Modern Athlete

I am new to running; only started in March ’09. The advice I get at my running club does not always match what I read in running magazines or online. One example of this is in regards to stretching. Should I stretch before or after running, or both? It seems that everyone at least agrees that one should stretch once the muscles are warm, be that after warming up or after the run. But if I do stretches before my run, how long should I warm up for?
* Danie Steyn

ANSWER
There is always a lot of debate around stretching. Most scientifi c evidence seems to support stretching before exercise, as well as a warm up session before stretching, e.g. cycling, light jogging, etc.
Unfortunately, the majority of road runners are amateur athletes and their commitments to work and family do not allow them the luxury of a warm up before training. Most of us just manage to arrive at our runs and do not have time to spare at either side of sessions. After many years of treating runners, I have learned that the ideal is not always possible and that stretching when it is convenient is better than not
stretching at all.

I should stress though, that stretching should be gradual and at no time should it produce pain. Painful stretching could result in micro-damage to muscles and end up doing more harm than good. For this reason, I also advise stretching the day before a big event rather than on the day, when there is a chance of overstretching cold muscles.

It is also important to note that most road runners start each run at a gentle pace, unlike sprinters or athletes whose sports demand sudden bursts of speed. This allows the muscles time to warm up before the pace increases and reduces the risk of muscle injury. Bearing this in mind, it is therefore important to
try warming up and stretching before starting a speed session or time trial.




Toni Hesp – Modern Athlete Expert

Qualifications:
BSc Physio (hon)
BSc (Med) Sports Science (hon)

I have been running for one month. I did 10km the first week. Last Saturday, I did 10km and have been doing between 3km and 4km on the other days of the week. Currently, I am getting pains in both legs, in my calves and in my shins, as well as in the toes of my left foot. When I run, I have the strength to go long distance, but my legs are not willing to take me. Can you help?
* Gordon Lazarus

ANSWER
Whenever a patient complains of fairly widespread injuries involving several body parts, it is usually because of a training problem. In your case, it seems you are doing too much, too soon.

Although you are coping with the cardiovascular side of running, you are not giving your body sufficient time to adapt to the repetitive stress that running places on your body, especially if you have jumped into 10km runs. Because of this unique strain on your body, you will often be plagued by injuries, even if you have been a sportsman all your life. You need to adopt a much slower programme and build up to the
10km distance.

The areas in which you are experiencing problems suggest a possible problem with your shoes.
Try to get some advice from a running shoe shop or podiatrist with regards to your shoe choice and size.

To build up to 10km, I would suggest running alternate days, three times a week and for not more than 10 to 15 minutes, at a comfortable pace that allows you to maintain a conversation. Increase each run by fi ve minutes per week, until you are running 60 minutes. Gradually, add a fourth and fi fth run, and when you are comfortable, start increasing your weekend run by not more than 10% per week.




Toni Hesp – Modern Athlete Expert

Qualifications:
BSc Physio (hon)
BSc (Med) Sports Science (hon)

Recent studies have investigated whether the ingestion of a particular form of protein called a protein hydrolysate (aka protein peptide) during exercise results in improved endurance exercise time to exhaustion or time trial performance, or improved recovery if ingested after exercise.

MUSCLE GLYCOGEN STORES
One of the goals in sports nutrition is to achieve a rapid repletion of muscle glycogen stores after prolonged training. It is well established that when the muscle glycogen stores become low, training becomes diffi cult and performance in races is suboptimal. Thus a high carbohydrate diet has been recommended. Initially, fi ndings suggested that the addition of protein, and especially protein hydrolysate, may increase the rate of muscle glycogen formation. This was attributed to the rapid absorption of the protein hydrolysate resulting in high insulin concentrations in the blood, which in turn causes an increased rate of glucose uptake into the muscle and subsequent more rapid formation
of muscle glycogen. However, subsequent studies have shown that ingesting the same energy content in the form of additional carbohydrate, has the same effect.

MUSCLE GROWTH AND REPAIR
A number of studies have shown that one of the amino acids, leucine, is effective at stimulating new protein formation i.e. muscle growth and repair. In addition, leucine has also been shown to inhibit protein breakdown. Thus, not only is leucine important in switching on the pathway leading to formation of new protein, but it also slows breakdown of existing protein.

However, the proteins making up muscle, like other proteins, consist of a vast number of amino acids all linked together in a specific way to form ‘muscle’. Thus, while leucine may switch on the muscle protein manufacturing process in the body, to be effective at repairing existing muscle protein or synthesizing
new protein, the other amino acids involved in building or repair of muscle must also be present. This is where the new protein, hydrolysates, become potentially key role players, as they contain leucine in fairly large quantity, as well as all the other amino acids which are needed to manufacture new protein (muscle). In our research with protein hydrolysate, we have also seen a ‘switching on’ of the pathway leading to muscle formation. We were able to show this with the ingestion of only 0.2g/kg of a protein hydrolysate immediately after exercise (although this was repeated over a period of a number of hours).

REDUCING CORTISOL
Cortisol is a hormone in the body which has many important functions and which increases in concentration during hard exercise. However, prolonged high concentrations are not desirable as this may cause a breakdown of muscle tissue. Ingestion of carbohydrates during prolonged exercise has been shown to help reduce the increase in cortisol, while ingestion of carbohydrate on completion of training has been shown to bring the concentration down more quickly than if no carbohydrate is ingested. Ingestion of a protein hydrolysate and carbohydrate during or immediately after exercise may have a three-fold effect: enhancing the rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis, improving muscle repair (protein synthesis), and reducing cortisol. Although research evidence to make defi nitive claims is still lacking, the existing research fi ndings are strongly suggestive of a benefi cial effect from ingestion of a protein hydrolysate together with carbohydrate during or immediately after training.

Andrew N. Bosch, PhD – Modern Athlete Expert

Associate Professor
University of Cape Town/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine
Sports Science Institute of South Africa

I want to try and add some upper body strenght training to my workouts. Would you recommend running using hand weights?

ANSWER
Improving your upper body strength, as a runner, is a very good idea. This is often the part of the body neglected by runners, who tend to always concentrate on their leg strength. One of the benefi ts of upper body strength in a runner is the ability to maintain good posture and control even over long distances. This helps prevent the onset of lower back pain as well as tension and pain that can occur in the upper spine and shoulders while running long distances. Another benefi t is an increase in speed during time trials and track work due to the increased power that can be generated by the upper body.

Strengthening the upper body by carrying hand weights while running is, however, not advisable. It will not provide any specifi c strengthening effect, but rather will add to the overall weight of your body and thereby increase the stress and strain on your joints and the soft tissue.

It would be more benefi cial to do specifi c weight training exercises, either in the gym or with hand weights. The emphasis should be on the upper back muscles and core muscle strengthening. A signifi cant improvement will be felt after training with weights three times a week, for a period of approximately six weeks.




Toni Hesp – Modern Athlete Expert

Qualifications:
BSc Physio (hon)
BSc (Med) Sports Science (hon)

Often, runners are unsure whether they should fi nd a coach, make use of some archived running programmes in a magazine or on the internet, or just plod on by themselves. Modern Athlete asked Professor Andrew Bosch, exercise physiologist at the University of Cape Town, for some insight.

He says that ‘generic’ running programmes can do a fairly good job for a large number of runners, but only up to a certain point. After that, the runner needs more specialised and customised input. Similarly, the mass programmes do not distinguish between the strengths and weaknesses of each person.

So-called ‘internet coaches’ have become popular, and Andrew says their programmes can be effective, but someone coaching that way should ideally supplement the information with telephone calls. “I have always found that e-mail alone is too imprecise in gathering relevant feedback.”

“I think all athletes can benefi t from a good running coach – from the runner trying to set a world record to the novice runner trying to complete Comrades within the time limit,” says Andrew. He strongly recommends coaching for marathon runners, who often tend to be self-coached. “Even if they do have
knowledge, it is extremely diffi cult for the athlete who is coaching himself or herself to remain objective at crucial times. For example, a coach might detect signs of fatigue and change the programme to accommodate that, but the self-coached athlete will think that their mind is strong and they will often
force themselves through the session. The result is ultimately worse rather than better.”

So where does one start and what should you look for, if you decide to get yourself a coach? Andrew offers the following advice: “I think the mark of a good coach is whether they have managed to bring success to many athletes, both elite and non-elite,” says Andrew. “If someone has produced one medal-winning athlete in their career, I don’t think that makes them a good coach; all that happened was that a super athlete came their way and that athlete might have won despite the coach, not because of the coach.”

A good coach has the following qualities:

• Commitment to help the athlete get what they wish to achieve.
  
• Dedication.
  
• Patience.
  
• Gains satisfaction from the achievements of the athlete – be it winning a race, breaking a record, setting a new PB or just finishing a race in the desired time.

• Ask around at your local running club.
  
• Get referrals from friends who have coaches or know someone who is being coached.
  
• Speak to top athletes and ask who helps them with their programmes.
  
• Speak to someone who has made a huge improvement in performance and ask them who has been helping them.
  
• Phone the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town for advice and help.
  
• Coaches don’t have to be runners, or need to have been runners, but it helps because of the insight and understanding that it brings.
  
• Coaches should be well-read on coaching theory and techniques, and should understand at least the basics of exercise physiology.
  
  
  
  
   

Andrew N. Bosch, PhD – Modern Athlete Expert

Associate Professor
University of Cape Town/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine
Sports Science Institute of South Africa