With the New York Marathon soon upon us, many thousands of runners are dialing their road work up to several miles daily. I can’t help but wonder how many rely on the miracle of NSAIDS like Tylenol and Ibuprofen to quiet their aches and pains as the pace of preparing for the marathon quickens to almost maddening levels here in New York City.
As an experienced personal trainer, life coach and health practitioner here in New York I am amazed that these same people pop medication like candy.
I’ve known runners whose toe nails fall off, get infections like colds and even flu like symptoms that take hold of their bodies either during training or just after the big day. The average marathon runner tends to be educated, successful and is seeking a quality life, which includes family, and a healthy body. Yet these otherwise smart people keep repeating the same patterns of physical abuse by squelching pain and inflammation with painkillers in order that they can continue the very activities that are causing or aggravating the very conditions they are suffering from.
Over half the athletes that participate in endurance type events
all over the world use the “stuff” to reduce pain, decrease inflammation, and repair damages done while participating in actual competition, or training for endurance events. Unfortunately, there are huge risks in the form of unmitigated soft tissue damage including cartilage, ligaments and tendons, even joint structures.
The biggest mistake the average runner makes is not understanding the entire training response to extended endurance activities. The body has its own molecular response to physical stress that allows for the development of stronger bones, more resilient collagen, thicker ligaments and tendons, and of course better adapted musculature. The extensive use of the “stuff” before, during and after activities is actually blocking the body’s healthy response to exercise and is actually slowing down the healing process overall.
These conditions can be avoided with a few SIMPLE RULES to deal with pain and inflammation associated with overuse:
1. Only use NSAIDS following acute trauma, never before endurance
activities to mask pain.
2. Use ice whenever there is inflammation, pain or redness due to overuse or
trauma.
3. Always warm-up properly before endurance activities, cool down for 5 - 10
minutes after activities, and ice any areas of the body that show signs of
inflammation or overuse.
4. Maintain a balance of proper flexibility and strength training for the
whole body, particularly the core to avoid muscular imbalances due to
repetitive fitness activities.
5. Stay hydrated. Way too many injuries can be avoided if participants just
took in enough fluids for the duration of the entire training program and
especially during the critical race time.
6. Maintain a proper balance of electrolytes and minerals by eating plenty of
fresh fruits and vegetables. Take in plenty of protein. Marathon runners
actually require more grams of protein per pound of body weight than do
bodybuilders. Great sources include red meat, poultry, fish, and cottage cheese
whey protein, and soy products like tofu, and tempe.
7. Wear the proper exercise gear, especially properly fitted shoes. AND don’t
buy new shoes for the actual race. Your feet have little brains in them that
take in information from the way your current shoes land and distribute shock
and impact. Your feet have actually formed a bond with those shoes and will
want to continue the same distribution pattern. A new pair of shoes will just
disturb that pattern and could cause serious injury to the lower extremities.
8. Finally, if you have been hitting the pavement a little too often or a little too
hard, take a day off. Often what our bodies need most is rest. Taking an
extra day of rest could mean the difference between suffering silently your
aches and pains or joining in the spirit of your chosen sport with friends and
comrades in training.
This blog post was in response to a recent article in the New York Times
Phys Ed: Does Ibuprofen Help or Hurt During Exercise?
Posts
