NEW BLOG LOCATION

Hello readers!

Thank you for taking the time to take in my articles over the last 5 years.  I have loved sharing what I have learned.  The questions and feedback from all of you have triggered even more learning on my part which has been a massive added bonus.  Let's keep this great relationship going!

My blog, from this point forward, will now be found at www.drdelanghe.com/news

The change is simply to allow for my website and blog to be in one convenient location along with some updated formatting and development options.  This blog, with 5 years of content, will stay live for your reference and reading pleasure for years to come.

Thanks again for reading, and we'll see you at the new site!

Dr. Sean Delanghe

Maybe You Shouldn't Change Your Stride (Part 3)

Throughout the last few months, my articles have been focused on how we ought (or ought not to) alter our stride to enhance running economy.  Last month, for instance, I looked at stride length, and how deviating from a naturally selected length will likely make you slower.

This month, I will address one aspect that I have mentioned in my previous posts: vertical oscillation (i.e. bouncing up and down as we run).

Vertical oscillation has always been one of the features of a stride that I think should be corrected if the vertical translation is excessive.  The research is clear, and logically it makes sense: if you waste energy shooting your body up into the air, you will have less energy to propel you forward.  The idea of a seemingly relaxed and tranquil upper body floating over spinning legs is the image we see amongst the best in the world, and something we should strive for.  BUT, is cutting vertical oscillation out entirely needed, or even beneficial?  Let's see what the research says:

Read the rest on the WRS Blog HERE

Maybe you shouldn't change your stride (Part 2)

Last month I gave an introduction into gait analysis, and a general idea of when one should change their stride.  The take home message was that generally speaking, there are times when extreme form flaw can be identified and should be corrected.  However, it is also apparent that there is a wide range of what is acceptable, a range that is MUCH broader than we have been led to believe.  Altering your natural rhythm to to achieve a narrow view of the perfect stride can decrease running economy and increase injury risk.

Over the next few blog posts, I will be exploring some specific components of form.  Today I will take a look at what the research shows about stride length.

Read the rest HERE on the WRS blog.

Maybe you shouldn't change your stride (Part 1)

Something I get asked a lot about is how to improve running form to enhance performance. I figured the best way too approach this very complicated issue is to do a series of posts over the next 2-3 months. This first post will simply be an introduction into the concept of what exactly a “perfect stride” is and to try to challenge some of the conventional tips that have been engrained into us.

The fact of the matter is that there definitely are key (and somewhat obvious) movement patterns that can have a clear detrimental impact on running performance and/or running economy. For example, we know that excessive arm motion will decrease running economy (for example, read more here). We also know that a crazy amount of vertical oscillation (bouncing too much up and down) will also decrease running economy (as shown, for instance, here).

However, I think in popular running culture, there is definitely an overemphasis on achieving the perfect stride. I also think there is low level of appreciation for how trying to fight your natural rhythm can often do more harm than good. What looks pretty and symmetrical is not always what is best for your individual anatomy.

Read the rest on the WRS blog

GAMING VS RUNNING: WHICH MAKES US SMARTER?

Whenever I get back from a run, I typically feel as though I can think with more clarity and work more efficiently. Not only that, I have sometimes gotten the impression that if I go for a run, my retention of newly learned information skyrockets. That’s why during my days as a nerdy chiro student, I would try my best to separate intense study sessions with run breaks. Is there any truth to what I experienced, or am I actually just finding creative reasons to procrastinate via running when I don’t feel like working?

That’s what I am looking at with today’s article: memory performance in those who go for a run vs. those who play Counter Strike.

CLICK HERE to read the rest on the WRS blog.

Does beetroot juice make you run faster?

A large part of what I focus on in this column is how you can alter your training to enhance performance. Training-schmraining…wouldn’t it be nice if there were ways to enhance performance without putting in any extra effort? Unfortunately, most effortless strategies that make as faster are dangerous and against the rules (EPO, blood doping etc.). There are a few, however, that are allowed and 100% work. One is the use of caffeine as I have written about here. Another ergogenic aid that is coming to the forefront of the literature is beetroot juice. With the more I read, the more it seems that under the right circumstances it actually works.

CLICK HERE to read the rest on the WRS blog. 

HOW DOES YOUR HILL RUNNING TECHNIQUE COMPARE TO ELITES’?

Happy New Year readers! With 2016 finally upon us, it’s time to start laying down base training for a successful year of racing. During this early phase of your year, it’s a good time to think about and train things that you really don’t have time for during the race season. One of these components: our running biomechanics.

I want to preface this article by saying that I think one has to be careful when consciously making an effort to significantly alter form. Firstly, researchers have shown that when you try to significantly alter your gait (i.e. during the barefoot running craze, trying to change to a forefoot strike from a rearfoot strike), not only did many runners become more injury prone, but their running economy went down (at least for a while) when battling their natural biomechanics.

CLICK HERE to read the rest on the WRS blog

HOW NUCLEAR BOMBS TELL US TO TAKE TIME OFF

The off-season is officially upon us! YA. Time to dial back the volume and intensity, take care of low-grade injuries, get back to other aspects of training you’ve missed, and just generally take it easy and dream up performances to come in 2016.

At our club, Health and Performance, I have seen a number of different approaches to the off-season from our athletes. Some are still hammering, some are decreasing volume and intensity to varying degrees, and others are 100% taking time away from running. Deciding how to manage your off-season is a complicated decision based on a number of factors (injuries, 2016 goals, mental fatigue, level of performance/training in 2015, complicating non-running things) that probably only YOU know all the details of.

However, no matter who you are, I still strongly suggest that some time away from running entirely (1-3 weeks) is a good idea. There are a number of reasons why I say this, but I was once again reminded of the importance of time off when a colleague sent me this study looking at the rate of cellular turnover in different cells in our body...

Read the rest HERE on the WRS Blog.

The Alkaline Diet: Should you be testing your urine?

With the off season approaching, it’s time to start thinking about making small changes that can help you to improve upon your 2015 running performances. One area that’s always good to strive to learn more about: diet.

On this topic, one of my pet peeves revolves around fad diets based on cool sounding pseudoscience that over-simplify what it actually takes to consume a well-rounded, complete, healthy diet. In reality, it’s a challenge to consume a diversity of fruits and vegetables, consume adequate but not excessive calories, jam in enough protein, etc. Even though this is a challenge, and sometimes seemingly impossible, it is not a reason to stop striving to achieve it.

I think that while most of us know this, when the going gets tough, these over simplified fad diets can suck some of us in.

Read more on the WRS Blog HERE

The three keys to fueling your marathon

The fall marathon season is almost upon us! With only a few weeks to go for many of you, it’s time to taper, to let the body recover and to get ready for battle. At this point it’s difficult to make any significant fitness gains, so dial back on that running. It is, however, quite easy to do a number of different things that can sabotage your performance. One of these detrimental decisions is not managing your race day nutrition properly.

Usually I present novel research studies in this column, but today I am going to give you a breakdown/reminder of what to do during your race to optimize performance. It is important to make a nutrition plan and stick to it. Going by hunger or the desire to consume food will leave most runners not consuming enough and therefore not running to the full potential of their current level of fitness.

When it comes to the research there is a lot in sports nutrition that we do not know (i.e. when exactly is beet juice helpful, if at all), and these areas need more time for definite guidelines to be established. Fortunately there is a lot that we do know for sure, and have been proven to make any runner faster. Here are the three most important nutrition rules to following during your marathon:

Click HERE to read more on the WRS blog

The gender gap in running

At the 2015 ENDURrun, we had a number of different spirited challenges within our Health and Performance team. One was a very entertaining and fun challenge between a loving/ ruthlessly competitive couple- Howie and Manny. Howie ended up taking the 160K, week-long challenge by 19 minutes, or just under 2%, after around 16 hours of racing. We also had an all-women’s team who were up against all the boys as they were the only 100% female crew. They posted a 4th place time of 13 hours, 23 minutes. This put them about 2 hours 8 minutes back of the first place team (they would have to be about 16% faster to catch them), and 17 minutes off the podium (they would have to be just over 2% faster to sit in 3rd)

CLICK HERE to read the rest on the WRS blog.

Are you running slow enough?

In the past, I have written about the importance of interval training to improve running performance.  Yes, it is very important to hammer above your lactate threshold a couple of times per week depending on where you are in your training to get the most out of your body.  This is the gold standard of any good performance-oriented running plan.   These are your key workouts, and must not be missed.

That being said, there is still a way to mess up your other runs, and that is by going too fast!  Your recovery runs and long runs, for the most part, need to feel slow.  This is a rule that most runners know, have read about, completely understand, but it still seems to be one of the top challenges that I see competitive people struggling to conquer.  After all, it feels good to run 10-15s/K slower than your 10K race pace for an 8K off-day.  It feels fast, the effort is up but manageable, and seeing a close-to-race effort without struggling excessively always provides a nice mental boost.

In this article, I am going to provide an overview behind the physiology of why the long run and recovery runs should be slow.  It's nice to know the rule, but understanding the physiology will help you stick to that rule and slow things down.

Read the rest on the WRS Blog HERE

Do altitude tents work?

Every runner has heard of altitude training.  The principal is simple: go somewhere high up where the air is thinner and force our bodies to adapt to the decreased oxygen concentration.  These hypoxic conditions stimulate a release of the hormone EPO which causes a spike in the production of red blood cells, increasing the oxygen carrying capacity of our blood. To no surprise, an increased oxygen carrying capacity of our blood enhances performance by improving delivery to our oxygen starved running muscles as we push our limits. It’s legal blood doping!

Many of us have dreamed of getting this extra boost to our performance, but simply do not have the resources or opportunity to disappear to a high altitude location.

Enter the altitude tent.

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Why the sit-ups must stop!

There are many uncertainties in healthcare, but this isn’t one of them: sit-ups are not good for your back.

Understanding that sit-ups are bad for the lumbar spine is not a new development. Yet, for some reason, we still do them. I see it all the time in practice– leg and back pain triggered (or at least aggravated) directly by flexion dominant core routines that include the sit-up.

Why? I think sometimes it’s because if we can’t visualize why something is bad for us, it’s harder to stick to the habit. Blindly following a rule is tough, but understanding why the rule is there makes it much easier to abide by. Hopefully this article helps to give method to the no sit-up madness.

CLICK to read the rest on the WRS blog.

Is pain slowing you down?

As you read this (as long as you are reading it in the first full week of May, 2015), a local runner named Charlotte Vasarhelyi is trying to conquer a 6-day running event.  The premise of the event is simple: ignore your brain and its valiant efforts to slow you down and keep running.  Do this for 144 hours straight.

While many of us will never pursue the 6 days of pain that Charlotte seems to thrive under, we all could still learn a lot from her ability to psychologically conquer the impulse to slow down.  Back in 2013, I wrote an article for Canadian Running taking a closer look at Charlotte along with general coping mechanisms runners possess and can develop to beat pain and its maniacal quest to slow us down.  The following is one of the drafts from the article...

READ THE REST ON THE WRS BLOG HERE

FIX YOUR CHRONIC TENDON PAIN BY LOADING IT

Chronic tendon pain is something most runners face at one point or another.  When the injury is acute, there is obvious inflammation and tears in the tissue.  Time, relative rest, ice and a gradual return to running usually does the trick.  These are cases of tendinITIS.

However, once pain persists beyond 6 months, the origin of that pain completely changes.  I have written about the subject before here.  In summary, the tears and inflammation are gone.  The pain persists from a not entirely known mechanism which includes lingering pain neurotransmitters that no longer belong in the tissue, and new blood vessels penetrating into the tissue and bringing pain sensing nerve fibers with them.  The tissue is hypersensitive.  It has healed after 6 months, but it has not “learned” to be normal again.  These are cases of tendinOSIS.

The reason I am bringing this up because I just came across a review study that puts into question a commonly recommended treatment protocol: eccentric loading.  Eccentric loading involves putting force through the tissue you are wanting to rehab as you take it from its short to long position.  Almost 4 years ago I wrote about the importance of using eccentric loading, and it is something that the research has supported.  However, eccentric loading, as I have seen in practice and have long suspected, may not be the magical movement we once thought.

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HOW COMMON IS A REARFOOT STRIKE?

What’s better, a forefoot or a rearfoot stike?

This is a complicated question and one that I get asked quite frequently.  It’s a topic I have avoided writing about on this blog until now because it is impossible to tackle and do the debate justice with just one post.  Sometimes topics area easy to summarize with clear conclusive statements, such as “toning shoes are bad.”   Rearfoot vs. forefoot strike is a little more complex.

Gradually, overtime, with multiple posts, I hope that I will be able to answer many of these questions.  With today’s post, all I want to do address the prevalence of each strike type and the associated importance.

READ THE REST on the WRS BLOG

Why does strength training make us faster?

Last month, I wrote an article looking at the impact strength training can have on our running performance.  In essence, the studies I presented showed that weight training, specifically high weight low rep, is great for boosting running economy.

Why does strength training impact our running economy?  There are a few mechanisms of action that experts suspect are at play.  For me, understanding these mechanisms really helps to solidify the importance of strength work as part of a training plan.  Getting to the gym is tough- picturing what you’re doing to your muscles makes it a little more palatable!

READ THE REST on the WRS blog.  

STRENGTH TRAINING OR PLYOMETRICS TO IMPROVE YOUR RUNNING ECONOMY?

It’s the off-season!  Does your training look exactly the same as how it does during your competitive months?  If your goal is to be as fast as possible, it shouldn’t!  One of the best training tools that runners should use during the off-season (that is a little more risky/costly to use during your competitive season) is strength training.

I am not going to waste your time preaching about how strength work is better than no strength work.  It think all runners know that whether you are doing high rep low weight, low rep high weight, or explosive/plyometric/jump training, adding some sort of strength training will make you run faster.

CLICK HERE to read the rest on the WRS blog.  

How well to compression socks work?

At the beginning of November, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to run the 2014 NYC marathon.  I had a blast racing the event, but as I write this article, my legs are yet to functionally bend at the knee thus rendering stair walking a hilariously debilitating act (hilarious for those around me anyway).  Time to speed up the recovery process…but how?  Today I am going to take a quick look at using compression socks.

How compression works

Researchers now understand that compression socks help with recovery, to a small degree, when used after a hard effort.  The mechanism of action is simple: it helps to prevent pooling of blood and facilitates better venous return (aka enhanced blood transportation from the legs back to the heart).  The reason why this works is because veins (the blood vessels that feed blood back to the heart) do not have muscular walls like the arteries that bring blood away from the heart.  So, while arteries actively help to pump blood away, veins rely on that momentum generated by the heart and arteries, and simply act as passive channels to bring the blood back.

CLICK HERE to read the rest on the WRS blog.