Load management in Running

Due to the current restrictions over the past few months, many of us have really missed our running sports. Some of us are laying on the couch waiting for sport to resume before getting back into an exercise/running routine while some of us on the other end of the spectrum have been running non-stop because that is all we are really permitted to do right now. 

Unfortunately, both extremes have their own downfalls. Being too sedentary and not getting in our recommended amounts of physical activity in our week (see previous blogs: Health and Well-being during lockdown) can have many negative impacts on our health, whereas going too hard too fast and not getting any time to recover can lead to unwanted burnout and potential injuries.

This leads us on to talk about a concept called ‘Load Management’. Whether there is a lead up to an event or purely training for ongoing gains in performance, load management is important to consider. Basically, if you are exerting yourself to levels beyond the capacity of your body, you put yourself at a greater risk of overuse and stress injuries. These are most commonly patella and Achilles tendinopathies in runners. It can also present as compartment syndrome, shin splints, nerve sensitivity and even stress fractures.

However, load management is a little more complicated than your muscles being able to cope with a set amount of workload before it fails. Considerations that may affect the optimal load for improvement can include intensity of load, frequency, and duration of sessions. Furthermore, there are more factors that can influence your body’s ability to handle load such as physical and mental stress, sleep, rest, nutrition, other commitments, current ability, and history of injuries.

If you do experience any niggling pain from your training load or are not happy with recent gains and think your progress is stagnating, book now to see one of the Physiotherapists at Get Set Physio to get you back on track and hitting goals!