|
|
|
|
|
|
Back to Training Tips Table of
Contents
Downhill courses
are great for running fast times, but soon after running one you’ll discover that
everything has a price. As any Boston Marathon veteran can tell you, you’re likely to
be sorer than usual following a hard downhill effort. This is because downhill running
involves eccentric contractions, in which your muscles lengthen as they contract.
Eccentric contractions temporarily decrease strength and cause the greatest amount of
delayed onset muscle soreness. Is there anything you can do to lessen this soreness? A
study from the University of Florida suggests there is—run downhill in training.
Subjects did
exercise on a knee extension machine to mimic the eccentric contractions of downhill
running. The next day, their leg strength was tested for a one-repetition maximum, and the
results were striking. Strength was reduced 30% to 40% compared to baseline levels
recorded before the eccentric session. Moreover, their strength did not return to normal
levels for at least one week. The researchers had quantified what downhill racers knew
instinctively.
Three weeks later,
the subjects did another session on the knee extension machine. This time, leg strength
decreased only 9%, and this only lasted for one day. The first bout of eccentric work, it
seems, “taught” the leg muscles how to deal with such stress, and provided
protection for subsequent eccentric workouts.
If you’re a
racer, this shows the importance of doing some downhill training should you have downhill
races in your future. Your leg muscles will “learn” from downhill workouts how
to run the descent while becoming only minimally sore. This will help with post-race
soreness and, perhaps more importantly, with quickly regaining leg strength. Say, for
example, you know you’ll be facing a downhill course in the midst of a racing binge;
occasional downhill workouts will condition your legs to recover more readily, which means
you’ll face the following week’s race with fresher, stronger legs.
Start any downhill
training gradually, and be sure your shoes are in good shape. Good Luck!
# # #