Runners' MOT

During a Sports Massage for runners, there are certain muscles and areas that I just HAVE to check out in order to avoid overlooking potential problems.  I thought that they may be of interest to you, as you can pretty much stretch many of these out yourselves.

 

Sports Massage

 

• Quadratus lumborum

• Tensor Fascia Lata

• ITB

• Hamstrings

• Gluteals

• Quadriceps

• Calves (Gastrocnemius and Soleus)

• Peroneals

• Plantar Fascia

• Tibialis Anterior

 

So the Q.L. - this guy hip stabilises and performs lateral bending.  Crossing uneven terrain?  His going to sing a fine tune to you. 

 

The T.F.L. services the I.T.B.  Lots of hill work, or ramping up the miles too soon?  You may find that you start of with a tightness at the sides of the hips.  This can then give way to the most painful, hot-poker, burning, awful pain at the side of the knee.  Give this area a lot of respect - I.T.B syndrome is a fearful enemy with great stealth.  This nasty piece of work gets you a few miles in to your run and can stop you dead in your tracks.

 

Hamstrings will scream when you sprint at your maximal and for longer than your muscles are conditioned for!  These muscles can be prone to tearing, as the forces on them are great.

 

Gluteals hurt when you know you're running form is hot - find a reputable Running Coach for running advice.  I'm told that a pain in the a***, in this instance,  is desirable!

 

Quadriceps are utilised a lot during down hill work.  Build this up carefully to avoid being sentenced to descending stairs side ways for several days!

 

Calf muscles do get tight in running.  The medial aspect of the Gastrocnemius always works a bit harder.  Always stretch the Soleus and the Gastrocnemius separately - they share the same tendon and can make life a misery when they aren't given the attention they deserve.

 

The Peroneals will come to say hello during uneven ground work.  They help stabilise the ankle.  If you pronate, they will be chronically shortened and going over on your ankle in this instance will hurt even more!

 

The Plantar fascia is a band of connective tissue running from the heel to the ball of the foot.  Tight calf muscles can place extra pressure on the fascia and lead to Plantar fasciitis.  This condition results in lots of morning hobbling - not fun at all!

 

The Tibilais Anterior lifts your foot up by pivoting at the ankle.  Running lots of hard ground when you are not used to it can result in shin splints.   Low grade problems result in microscopic tendon tears from the bone and greater problems involve stress fractures.

 

So, covering, or at least assessing these muscles and areas during a Runners' Sports Massage is a must.  This list is not definitive of course!

 

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That's all from me for now, your dedicated Sports Massage Therapist.

 

Looking after the girls

Boys, you don't need to read this.  Girls, read on!

 

Apparently most of us wear bras that are the wrong size.  When you're taking part in Sports this can be disastrous.  We have Coopers Ligaments that help keep us North.  If you take part in strenuous exercise without adequate support, your girls will be visiting South before they have been invited and the ticket is one way!!! 

 

Get measured and try different brands, or styles for varying comfort and fit.  I can highly recommend a website called Less Bounce - they stock Shock Absorber Sports Bras.  It is recommended that you run on the spot vigorously to test the bra out. 

 

Tips for choosing a Sports Bra

• Wide band around rib cage with stretch (to prevent the bra riding up)

• No internal seams (to prevent chaffing)

• Soft breathable material (the synthetics are best)

• Wide shoulder straps (to prevent straps 'cutting' in to shoulders)

• Fastening covers (to protect your skin)

• Padded shoulders can provide further comfort

Shock Absorber Run Bra

 

Did you know that the first Sports Bra was put together by two American Ladies in 1977?  Hindra Miller and Lisa Lindahl sewed two jockstraps together.  They went on to form a company called Jogbra and became millionnaires!

 

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That's all for now from me - your dedicated Sports Massage Therapist.

 

You've gone too far this time?

You're feeling off colour and you suspect that you've over trained.  But, how can you be sure?  The  following symptoms may help you to rule out the 'don't feel like it', from the 'can't'.

 

• persistent muscle soreness (DOMS, or just not enough time to recover from micro tears)

• loss of coordination

• prolonged fatigue

• dizziness

• performance inconsistency

• elevated resting heart rate

• tightness in the chest

• heat stress

 

Over training occurs when fatigue ensues due to excessive frequency, intensity or volume of training.  Doing the same workout repeatedly may also be a cause.  So, watch out for the following:

 

• decrease in performance

• aches and pains in muscles, and or joints

• fatigue, tiredness and insomnia

• elevated morning pulse

• headaches

• inability to complete training sessions

• susceptibility to illness

 

Whilst it is good to push yourself beyond your comfort zone in training be mindful that your training volume and intensity does not exceed your recovery capacity.  If this occurs, you may begin to lose strength and fitness.  Improvements in strength and fitness occur during rest periods following hard training.  The recovery process can take 12 to 24 hours, or even longer by days, or months.

Can you sustain activity in your planned longer training sessions

 

Be kinder to yourself if you have jet lag, an ongoing illness,or are exceptionally overworked.  Also, be aware that limiting calories whilst exercising intensely and  poor nutritional regimes in general can be stressors.  Use your body as a guide.  Make sure that you push yourself hard enough to progress, without sabotaging your progress.  Also provide your body and mind with the right conditions for success.

 

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Burn baby burn

When you are exercising in the Anaerobic Lactate System, see the Energy System blog for further details, and you feel the burn, it is lactic acid formulation that is the culprit.  Lactic acid is the end product of the glucose metabolism in the absence of oxygen - hence 'anaerobic'.

You may be interested to know that dietary carbs break down and form glycogen which is stored in the muscles.  Lactic acid can cause temporary muscle fatigue and can take minutes to 2 hours to be re-synthesised.  There is a store of glycogen in the liver too and this will be just enough to see you sprint for a bus.

 

 What can you do to help the lactic acid dissipate?

• keep moving until you cool down appropriately

• adopt static stretches once cooled down sufficiently

• allow the body time to recover from intense activity

• adopt recovery work in to your training programme ie. sprint followed by recovery jog

                                                 

                                                   ATP 

                                                      ^

                                                      ^

Muscle glycogen ---> Anaerobic glycolysis ---> Pyruvic acid --->Lactic acid

                                                                                       v

                                                                                       v

                                                                         used in aerobic system

 

The diagram above shows the process of muscle glycogen being transformed in to lactic acid.

 

So, next time you're training and you feel like your legs, or your arms, or both are going to drop off, you know that your muscles are teaming with lactic acid and you are subsequently feeling the burn!

 

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Did you know about nature's muscle cramping helpers?

There are a number of natural remedies for helping to deal with muscle cramps.

Foods that will help:

• Coconut water (the MOST recommended)
• Bananas are great as they have a high Potassium content
• B vitamins from wheat flour, vegetables, fresh and dried fruit, porridge, potatoes and yeast extract
• Calcium found in broccoli and spinach
• Mustard and pickle juice because they contain acetic acid
• Turmeric due to its anti-inflammatory properties
• Apple cider vinegar because it has potassium content

Other things to try:

• Epsom salt soak in the bath
• Keep hydrated
• Warm shower or bath to relax muscles
• Light and gentle massage
• Gentle stretches
• Take electrolytes as needed (see Blog 5 Facts for Muscle Cramping)
• Deep breathing (if the cramps are brought on by shallow breaths)
• Temporarily reduce activity if onset occurred during strenuous burst

Turmeric powder

My favourite Cider Vinegar

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That's all for now from your dedicated Sports Massage Therapist

5 facts for Muscle Cramps

1. Cramp is the involuntary contraction of muscles

 

2. Common cramp sites are:

• Gastrocnemius

• Quads

• Hamstrings

• Abdomen

• feet

• hands

...but, it depends on what activity you are doing!

 

3. Cramp is thought to be caused by lack of oxygen to the muscles, lack of water, or lack of salt (electrolytes)

 

4. Deep breaths, adequate hydration and correct electrolyte balance can help to alleviate cramps

 

5. Gentle stretching and very light massage manipulations can help to reduce the problem

 

Cramps can dramatically impact your performance

 

During my Sports Massage in the Field work at the Cyprus Ultra, the most muscles one person had in spasm at one time were 3!

 

The electrolyte preparation that I enjoy using is High 5 and it is available in Limassol from Micromania. Whether you are active in sports, or dealing with life in extremely hot temperatures, these are highly recommended.

 

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That's all for now from your dedicated Sports Massage Therapist

What body type are you?

Did you know that there are three different body types?

• Ectomorph
• Mesomorph
• Endomorph 

Let’s start with the ectomorph person. They tend to be very tall and slim.  They have long limbs.  They will find it hard to gain weight, whether it is excessive body fat or muscle.  Classically this type of person will be good at endurance running, cycling and the high jump.

The mesomorph type is well proportioned and muscular.  They don’t have issues with gaining muscle bulk.  Their shoulders tend to be broader, their waist narrower and they can turn their hand to most sports – in particular sprinting, football and hockey.

The endomorph has a more rounded, stocky figure and is shorter in height.  They can tend to gain weight easily, but may have difficulty losing it.  They fare well at sports such as rugby and shot-put.

Somatype can provide a pointer as to which sport a person will be naturally gifted in.  More importantly, it can help one to set realistic goals.  If you need assistance with realistic goal setting, contact a Sports Coach that specialises in sports specific goal setting practices.

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Top 10 tips for avoiding sporting injuries

There are many factors that can contribute to injuries. If we are aware of them, we can take measures to avoid unnecessary problems.  So, here are some common contributors/causes of injury and measures to take to avoid them.

1. Stretch

Well, being a Sports Massage Therapist, I would advocate stretching! Stretching keeps the muscle fibres fluid and free-moving. Stiff, tight muscles tug on tendon insertions and cause pain. The problem can exacerbate over time. Remember dynamic (moving) stretches incorporated in to the warm-up and static stretches (still) as part of the cool down.

 

2. Warm-up and Cool-down

Did you know that a proper warm-up means you use less energy during your workout/competition? It also means less chances of injury as the muscles are primed and ready to perform. A proper cool-down lets our body systems return to normal and helps prevent muscles stiffening up.

 

3. Good nutrition

Muscles are made mainly of protein, so for good muscle repair it makes sense to have a good source of this in our diets. You have a window of 30 minutes to get some protein and good carbohydrate in to your system post exercise - this ensures optimum recovery and no undue muscle pain. I recommend consulting with a sports professional that specialises in sports nutrition for more information.  There are many tips to learn - such as which natural foods have anti-inflammatory benefits and will assist with muscle repair.

4. Adequate hydration

Drinking too little water will lead to you becoming dehydrated.  By the time you feel thirsty, you will have lost about 5% of your water! Clearly, this is too late.  Poor hydration will make you very unwell indeed, increase the chance of injury/death and decrease your performance ability.  I have to add here, that drinking too much can be dangerous too. Get to know your body - keep an eye on the colour of your pee and make sure that you are still needing to go to the toilet. If you ran 50k and you didn't need to go to the toilet, you probably didn't drink enough!  If you drank too much, your salt levels may be far to low too.

 

5. Adequate electrolyte balance

Magnesium is the main electrolyte. Taking a supplement such as High 5 will keep you safe and ensure optimum performance.  You will also help to stave off cramps.  If you are exercising in extreme heat, this will become even more imperative.

 

6. Adequate recovery time

This has to be done within the remit of your training programme - which will vary depending on your chosen sport. Fatigued muscles, and bodies in general, make us more prone to accidents - whether this be tripping over or adopting poor form/techniques.  During a really tough workout/competition, there is microscopic tearing of muscle fibres - these fibres need time to repair!  Adequate recovery time within a workout is often important too - this may be achieved by fitting in some lower intensity work.

7. Correct form

Make sure that your form is correct - whatever your sport is. If you run, make sure that your running technique is correct - it pays to consult with a good Coach. Good form will allow you to perform for longer.  Poor techniques place more strain on the body and will eventually lead to injury.

 

8. Stay safe

Be aware of any dangers that you may be exposed to - whether they be uneven running surfaces, poor lighting, extreme weather conditions, remote areas, or medical related issues. Keep all medicines you may need accessible, carry a mobile phone, have a back-up plan if you need to bail out part way through a long run and let someone know where you are (or are planning on going).

 

9. Be in tune with your body

Pain killers and anti-inflammatories do play an important role at times. Be aware that they can mask symptoms and may lead to further damage. Did you know that some anti-inflammatories can delay ligament healing? Or, that some anti-inflammatories must not be taken if asthma is present? Or, that kidney problems can ensue following some cases of anti-inflammatory consumption alongside dehydration? Learn to listen to your body during training - are you too tired? Should you reschedule, adapt your session, or plan your sessions more carefully next time? Are you pushing through an injury when you should hold back a little? Are you off colour? Is it safe to go full steam ahead? Only you know...

10. Get therapy when you need it

Hamstring stretch during Sports Massage Therapy

Seeing a Sports Massage Therapist can be very beneficial in helping with training recovery, injury rehabilitation and keeping injury free. Keeping muscles in tip top condition means more miles and a longer training/competing life! if your Therapist practises, or is very familiar with, the sport you do, there will be added value to the treatment too.

This list is not exhaustive.  Please feel free to contact me for more details. Don't forget that you can also sign up to my website for updates and special offers - there will be a treatment discount voucher available in the April update.

 

Thanks and bye for now, from your dedicated Sports Massage Therapist!