By Dr. Aaron Case BSc, DC (November 2007)
Have you ever noticed the difference in muscle mass between professional sprinters and marathoners? Professional sprinters tend to have large rippling running muscles and professional marathoners don’t. How can marathon runners take tens of thousands of steps during a run without collapsing from exhaustion? It doesn’t look like their skinny legs can take that impact!
In fact, professional marathoners’ muscles are lean because they have learned to be efficient. In other words, they have learned to cheat. Their muscles have learned to cheat by turning ON explosively and OFF quickly.
The tendency of inexperienced runners is to leave muscles turned ON unnecessarily and ‘muscle’ through the run, leaving no time for muscle recovery. This results in muscle pollution (metabolite accumulation) and early fatigue.
During efficient running, the body will load up elastically like a pogo stick and spring explosively (via a plyometric and/or stretch reflex mechanism) to prevent itself from being torn apart from the impact forces. *Plyometrics is a fancy word for stretching muscles/tendons quickly prior to muscle contraction. Plyometric exercises include skipping, hopping, bounding, jumping and running itself!
Research Results:
Recent Australian research demonstrates the benefits of plyometric training in runners is due to an improvement of running economy (decreased oxygen demands at the same speed) due to increased stiffness (pogo-stick effect).
Increased stiffness results in a decreased contact time of the foot. Since plyometric exercise also maintains stride length, this decreased contact time of the foot results in faster running.
3 km race times for advanced runners improved by 2.7%; a huge amount at that level.
Additional research from Finland demonstrated that experienced runners who used 2-3 plyometric sessions per week were able to improve their 5 km race times by 30-seconds despite training mileage being decreased from 70 to 45 miles per week.
Drills You Can Do:
These drills will teach your muscles how to turn turning ON explosively and OFF quickly
Although you may have heard that plyometrics may be advanced and unsafe, consider that running is a form of plyometrics. So, similar to running, very gradual progression of low impact plyometrics is highly recommended. Consult your Physician prior to any new exercise program.
1) Plyometric Running Drills:
- Warm up prior with a jog for 15-minutes
- 2 days minimum between plyometric sessions (1-2 x/week)
- Avoid plyometrics when tired or sore or at the end of a long or hard run
- When form deteriorates or if pain is present, stop.
- Less is best!
2) Lower Impact Plyometric Exercises
- Skipping rope
- 2 ankle hops in one spot (hopping forward more advanced)
- Hop scotch hopping
- Fast feet (stationary)
**You may progress to bounding after 4-6 weeks assuming no soreness, stiffness or pain is present with any of the lower impact drills.
3) Advanced (higher) Impact Plyometric Exercises
- Single leg hopping on spot (then forward)
- Bounding for height
- Bounding for speed and distance (uphill less stressful)
- Short sprints (10-seconds)
- ‘ABCs’ (high knees, ‘horses’ front foot stomp/slap, butt kicks)
Good luck and happy skipping, bounding and hopping your way to running success. These drills will teach your muscles how to turn turning ON explosively and OFF quickly.
