Have You Hugged Your Hammies Today?

Mother Nature likes balance. Science calls it homeostasis (stability within the body). This Yin and Yang  appears all throughout the various body systems, especially within the muscular system.

Muscles can act as an agonist (the contracting or working muscle) or as an antagonist (the lengthening/stretching muscle) . Usually agonist and antagonist muscles are located direclty opposite one another. For example when doing a dumbbell bicep curl, you're using your biceps as the agonist and the muscle group directly opposite the biceps (the triceps) are the antagonist muscle group.  If the triceps are the "working" muscle group (as in a tricep kickback), then the biceps become the antagonist. In many cases agonist and antagonist muscles are located anterior (front) and posterior (back) on the body (i.e, biceps/triceps, quads/hamstrings, pec/traps, but you can also have medial (close to the midline of the body) and lateral (along the outter sides of the body) agonist and antagonist muscles such as the adductor and abductor muscles in the legs. And you can have agonist and antagonist that are superior (above) and inferior (below) such as delts and lats.

The key "Yin and Yang" muscle groups for runners are the quads and the hamstrings. There are four quadricep muscles (vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, and vastus medialis). The quads work as agonist when they contract and flex the hip and further down work with the patellar tendon to extend the knee and pull the lower leg forward. Opposite the four quad muscles are the hamstring muscles (biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus).  As the quads work as the agonist and contract, the hamstrings stretch or lengthen working as the yang to the quads' yin.

However, what goes up has to come down,  or better yet, what contracts has to relax. So, when the quads contract and flex the hip and extend the knee, the hamstrings switch gears  from being the antagonist to becoming the agonist (the working muscle) in order to extend the hip and flex the knee moving both the upper and lower leg backward. When this happens, the quads switch to antagonist mode as they begin to lengthen and relax.

Now this Yin-Yang doesn't always mean a 50/50 relationship. Your quads are a little bigger than your hamstrings and they just get used more throughout the day, so typically your quads are a little stronger than your hamstrings. The normal strength imbalance between the quads and hamstrings is a 3:2 ratio. Women tend to have less of a difference than men.

Runners can have issues with their quads, but more than likely they'll have issues with their hamstrings, especially distance runners. If you haven't had issues, I'm sure you know of a runner who has suffered from a hamstring strain, pull, tendinitis or even worse, a tear. The cause of the hamstring injuries can be from having weak hamstrings, but more than naught, the cause is quad dominance.

When runners log lots of miles they repeatedly load their quads, making them strong. Longer runs can lead to overloading the quads making the quads too strong. This can create an imbalance between the quads and the hamstrings. When this occurs, several things can happen. A worst case scenario would be a hamstring tear. This happens when the hamstrings are too weak to handle the pull of the quads, so they give way or tear. Quad dominance can also wreak havoc on the knees. A healthy counter balance of the hamstrings helps to keep the knees stable. When the quads are too dominant they can pull and tug on the knee joint, muscles, and/or ligaments causing damage. A frustrating result of quad dominance can simply be decreased power causing you to run slower. This happens when the hamstrings kick in sooner than normal to help decrease the overpowering of the quads.

Runners should try very hard to take care of their hamstrings by building up the muscular strength and endurance. Once you get in a quad dominant situation, it's kind of hard to reverse. Also, hamstring injuries usually take a while to heal, so you may be off running for extended periods of time and frustrated.

So, what's a runner to do? Well the first thing that comes to mind is hamstring exercises, right? Right! But hold on, are some exercises better than others? Yep! The typcial hamstring leg lifts, hamstring leg curls, or hamstring roll-ins on a stability ball are all good, but research has shown that eccentric-loading hamstring exercises are even more beneficial, so be sure to throw in some exercises such as eccentric leg slides and hamstring curls. Check out the video below for examples of some great hamstring exercises (including some eccentric exercises) to add to your weekly lower-body or full-body workout routine.

Hamstrung?

Seems like lately, many of my running buddies, both local and cyber, are being plagued by hamstring injuries. The problem with hamstring injuries, is that they hurt like hell and take a while to heal. Neither does a runner want to deal with. Telling a running not to run for a few weeks, is like taking their first born.

So why are runners (especially long distance runners) plagued by hamstring injuries so often? Well, there can be many causes—going out too fast and too strong without properly warming up, not properly fueling the body, dehydration, lack of strength in the posterior chain (back, glutes, hamstrings), and being quad dominant. And then there is always the odd injury for which there is no apparent reason for the cause.

From my reading, schooling, and talking with other runners, being quad dominant and having a weak posterior chain are probably the two biggest causes of hamstring injuries. I've mentioned it in previous posts how so often runners do not include resistance training into their weekly routine. Runners often shy away from the gym because they feel they're getting enough exercise on the run. They also don't want to bulk up.

Runners need to change their perception of the gym. They also need to realize that many resistance exercises can be done using body weight or light weights at home. And no, doing resistance training will not turn you into a bulky "Arnold" and no you won't gain an Austrian accent in the process.

A December 2008 Running Times article does a great job of explaining the issue of quad dominance. In a nutshell, quad dominance happens when the "quad muscles overpower the action of the hamstrings in the movement of the leg during a running stride."

Long distance runners log a lot of miles. That constant repetitive action puts an overload on the quads causing them to become more dominant than their antagonist—the hamstrings. When your hamstrings become significantly weaker than your quads, then Running Times says one of two things may happen:

1) Your hamstrings will tear as a result of not being able to take the load developed by the contracting quadriceps and momentum from hip extension
2) You will run slower as a result of diminished power from the hip flexors and knee extensors as the hamstrings have to contract earlier to be able to break the ensuing movement.

Hamstring injuries are slow to heal and often, once you get them, they'll reoccur over and over. The recurrence, however, is usually due to the runner not addressing the real cause of the problem......weak hamstrings. That's where resistance training can play a huge role in overcoming or preventing this problem.

First of all, for everyone (not just runners) strengthening the posterior chain (the muscle groups found on the back side of the body) is most beneficial. Having a strong posterior chain can help prevent a whole host of injuries especially later down the road as we age. The posterior chain mainly consists of the erector spinae muscles (the lower back muscles), the glutes (butt muscles), and the hamstrings (upper backside of the leg).

Exercises that target the hamstrings include:

Dumbbell Squats


Touch-n-Go Squats


Bulgarian split squats


Good Mornings

Deadlifts


Stability Ball Leg Curls


Standing Leg Curl with Ankle Weights

Eww Yuck! Blackened Toenails

Raise your hand if you've ever had a blackened toenail? Or better yet, had one completely fall off as a result of running? I'm guessing there are a lot of raised hands. Novice runners are usually shocked and surprised while experienced runners wear them with pride. So what causes this odd occurrence?

Usually the root of the problem is an ill-fitting shoe. Toenails can become bruised and/or irritated when they either touch the front end of the shoe or brush against the top of the shoe. I earned my first and only blackened toenail in my first marathon. I did two big no no's. First I wore a fairly new pair of running shoes and secondly they were too small. You learn from your mistakes, right? Well, the cause of my toe woes is one of the most common causes of blackened toenails—shoes that are too small or too tight. Shoes that are too large, however, can also be the culprit. If there is too much room in the toebox and your forefoot isn't held securely in place, then your toes are going to bang around hitting the end and/or top of the shoe.

The reason the toe turns black is pretty simple—it's a bruise. The banging of the toenail against the end or top of the shoe causes soreness and/or irritation and if it continues long enough, then bleeding occurs beneath the toenail. If this happens, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few months of the blood to work its way out. For many runners, the blackened toenail will actually fall off. Don't worry, it grows back. The trapped blood provides the perfect conditions for a bacterial infection, so if the condition of the toe worsens and/or it's taking a long time for the nail to heal, visit your doctor and have it checked out pronto.

Even though many runners prize their blackened toenails like a rite of passage, it's best to do what you can to avoid getting them altogether. The best way to avoid the blackened toenail is to make sure your shoes fit. Use the following tips to help you get the best fit:

• Sizing—running shoes often run a half-size to a full-size smaller than dress shoes, so you'll need to go up a half-size or a whole-size in many running shoes. For example, I normally wear an 8.5 or 9 dress shoe, but in a running shoe I typically wear a 9.5 or 10. Also keep in mind that wearing thick socks such as Thorlos® Running Thick Cushion Socks or wearing some type of orthotics may cause you to go up a half- or whole-size. RoadRunner Sports does a great job of letting you know in their catalog and online shoe descriptions whether to order a half- or whole-size larger. I've found that you can also call most of the online retailers and they're very helpful in providing sizing information. The best way to ensure a good fit is to purchase your shoes from your local running store. I've found that the independent, locally owned running stores usually have more knowledgeable staff than the big chain stores. Sometimes the online deals are just too hard to pass up, especially these days. But, to ensure the best fit, especially if you're trying a different brand or model, you may want to try on the shoes at your local running first before placing the order. (While you're there, be sure to support your local running store by purchasing some other running supplies and/or gear.)
• ToeBox Wiggle Room—make sure your toes have some wiggle room in the toebox. They should not feel restricted in any way. But also make sure there's not too much wiggle room. Just like your mom used to say, there should be about a thumb's width between the end of longest toe and the end of the shoe. I usually go a step further by bending my foot (as if in mid-step) and then checking to see how much room I have between my longest toe and the end of the shoe. This extra step has really helped ensure I get a shoe that's the right length for me.

• Snug Midfoot—make sure that the shoes fit snuggly around the midfoot area. They should feel supportive and secure not tight or restrictive.

• No Slip Heels—there should be no slipping on the heel.

Say Whatica?

Two of the most common and most painful running injuries are sciatica and piriformis syndrome. Some consider these conditions one in the same. The symptoms can be very similar but the underlying causes of the conditions are very different.

Sciatica is the irritation of the sciatic nerve usually resulting from a herniated disk or spine degeneration. A frustrating problem with sciatica is that you can't clearly see the nerve or the causes of the injury. But one thing that is clear is the pain which usually radiates down the back, to the buttocks, to the back of the thigh, and down to the outside of the knee. Sometimes it even extends all the way down to the foot.

Piriformis syndrome is pain in the buttocks resulting from a tight piriformis muscle pressing against the sciatic nerve. The symptoms of piriformis syndrome are very similar and may be indistinguishable from sciatica.

In some cases, piriformis syndrome may be causing the sciatic nerve irritation. The sciatic nerve may run underneath or through the middle of the piriformis. Contraction of the piriformis could cause enough compression of the sciatic nerve to produce nerve symptoms. This is one of the main reasons for the confusion over distinguishing true sciatica from piriformis syndrome.

Regardless of whether it's sciatica or piriformis syndrome, if you're experiencing any of these symptoms, you should be evaluated by a doctor. Common treatments inlcude ice, cross-training, physical therapy, strengthening exercises, orthodics, and/or anti-inflammatories. A good friend of mine has been dealing with an extreme case of sciatica for over a year and his doc has ordered an MRI to get a better idea of what's going on.

Adding core exercises to your regular workout routine to strenghten your back and abdominals may help keep sciatica and/or piriformis syndrome at bay.