Ground contact time (GCT) measures the time the foot spends on the ground during a running stride. The less time you spend on the ground, the more efficient running is. Fast ground contact time increases running speed and makes running more economical.
Continue reading “Running ground contact time – how to improve?”
Collaboration with Ochy – running biomechanics app
Biomechanics goes together with physiology, combining different areas. Running biomechanics have been studied a lot, but studies have not been able to demonstrate the superiority of one running technique over others. There are as many running styles as there are runners. There are as many differences among professionals as there are among regular runners. One technique is not more optimal or more prone to injury than others.
Continue reading “The Role of Biomechanics in Running: How Proper Technique Enhances Performance and Reduces Injury Risk”
Running and training are full of myths. Some of them still live tenaciously, even though they could have been proven wrong by science a long time ago. There are many running myths that can affect people’s training and beliefs about how they should train. Some of the myths can also affect how we see training in general. Here is just a small fraction of common beliefs.
Continue reading “Running myths – True or false?”
Surely every runner has already come across carbon plate shoes. You can see them on every professional, and many amateurs have also switched to wearing shoes. But does anyone benefit from carbon plate shoes? Are the benefits of carbon plate shoes so great that it is worth investing in them?
Continue reading “Carbon plate shoes pros and cons”
We are born to run and we are the greatest distance runners in the world. We might lose with speed to cheetahs and antelopes, but we win every other animal in endurance. How about sledge dogs or horses, who has amazing endurance capacity?
Continue reading “Humans are the greatest distance runners in the world”
I got to chance to read Master Your Core: A Science-Based Guide to Achieve Peak Performance and Resilience to Injury by Dr Bohdanna Zazulak. I also have an opportunity to give one paperback copy to some of you, so keep reading.
Continue reading “Review: Master Your Core – Dr. Bohdanna Zazulak + Giveaway”
The importance of running shoes is increased over the past several years. Especially the materials and heel to toe drop place an important role in the industry. Without taking a bigger stance on it, will you benefit more from some shoe than others? Let’s consider what you need to know about heel drop, when you go shoe shopping.
Continue reading “Running shoes: heel to toe drop”
Runners tend to look after their legs and train them to stronger, but foot and ankle mobility is often overlooked and forgot. Poor foot and ankle mobility can cause injuries that can appear upper legs. It also affects the running technique and speed. Foot and ankle absorb the shock when we run, the force is transmitted all the up in the back. Poor shock absorption make ankles stiff and cause calf and shin stiffness and other problems.
Continue reading “Runners foot and ankle mobility for better performance”
In a physical perspective, there is some difference between women and men. Women are often described slower and weaker, because of the physical factors, but that’s not necessarily the thing. Women can be stronger and faster than men, like the same way some men are stronger and faster than other men. It depends on the training background and many other things. But in the scientific perspective, there are many differences between men and women. So should they train the same way?
Continue reading “Should women train differently than men?”
We all know that good running shoes are essential, and you should not use one pair year after year. But why have several different shoes, when you have found a good pair and want to use them? The shoes can affect the running speed, biomechanics and economy, and also injuries.
Continue reading “Why have several pair of running shoes?”
In the case of runners, there is often talk of little tension, which is expected to improve economic running and thus performance. The mobility and flexibility of the core and lower limbs are in a special position. The tension of the core, which limits the rotation and thus the rotation of the leg from the hip, improves economic running. Similarly, lower back, hip, and ankle tensions shift running biomechanics in a more economical direction. So, while a certain degree of tension may be beneficial from a running performance perspective, consideration must be given to how to determine the appropriate tension.
Continue reading “Hamstring movements for runners”
Running economy (RE) means runners’ energy utilization when they are running at aerobic intensity. There are multiple factors, which plays the role of the running economy. The most direct method to measure the running economy is oxygen consumption. Runners who consume less oxygen while running at a given velocity have a better running economy.
Continue reading “RUNNING ECONOMY FACTORS – which you can partly affect”
Each of us has individual running style and foot pattern, but sometimes they can cause more harm than good. Runners often observe their foot stride length and cadence but forget stride width or feet position. We have spoken cadence earlier, you can find it here. Are you running like a duck or like more hit the catwalk?
Continue reading “Running with narrow stride width or toe-out?”
Let’s continue the must-read book list, now it’s the turn of training books. This category is so wide. There are biographies, guide book, different sports, etc.
Continue reading “OTHER: training books must-read list”
I have written about warm-up earlier, you can find it here. It contained benefits and importance of warm-up, the excellent warm-up protocol to follow. Now, let’s talk about cool-down. How easy it’s just end your work-out doing nothing afterwards? You have just spend around an hour hard exercise you don’t have interest or energy for cool-down. Hands up, if you can recognise yourself?
Continue reading “SCIENCE TALK: cool-down, do we need it?”
There is a post about weight training benefits for runners, you can find it here. That post considers why runners should add strength training in their program, energy system and different types of strength training such as strength, power and endurance.
Continue reading “SCIENCE TALK: Neuromuscular training in runners”
Foam rolling has gained popularity in recent years, and various foam rollers have been developed. Almost all gyms have at least one foam rollers and also many have a roll at home too. Foam rolling has been considered an easy way to self-massage and myofascial release. Some people have even replaced stretching with foam rolling. Is the foam rolling really useful?
Continue reading “SCIENCE TALK: foam rolling, beneficial or not?”
Do you want to know more about sports science, or how the human body works? What happen inside us during rest or activity?
Whether you are not a sports scientist or not seeking a career in sports, but you are training and want to understand more about the human body. Some (or well all of these books) dig deep inside of body, in the cellular level and if you are familiar with this kind of stuff, give it shot. You might learn new things and get new aspect of your training. Also, understanding even the basic mechanisms of the body will help you to read more critically all those “how to get fit”, “get sixpack in 5 weeks”, and other topics.
Continue reading “OTHER: Sports science books must read”
Roughly speaking running performance can be divided into three sections; psychological factors, biomechanics and physiological factors. Each of these section contains several sub-concepts, let’s see some of these factors. Continue reading “SCIENCE TALK: The consist of distance running performance”
