For such a common issue, it might surprise you to know that the exact reason for cramping is still unknown, however following the tips below should help minimise the effects of cramp on your training.
Hydration and electrolytes
Many people blame inadequate hydration or electrolyte levels for their cramping and, although some studies have shown that consuming a 6% carbohydrate sports drink can help prevent them, other studies have failed to back this up and, recent work with Ironman triathletes found no link at all.
Going too hard
The most likely cause of cramping is a sudden increase in exercise intensity. So, if you ride harder or longer than you are used to or capable of, you can expect to cramp.
Night time
However, it is not only on the road that you can suffer from cramps. Night cramps are a painful and common phenomena. As these cramps are happening when you are lying in bed, exercise intensity can’t be the reason for them.
- To avoid cramps ease back on your pace and/or distance and check out your training zones to make sure you’re working at the right intensity. If you’re out for a long run or ride for example you should spend time in zone 2.
- Follow a suitable training plan that builds in a gradual progressive way.
- Stay well hydrated, before, during and after exercise. Taking on fluids containing electrolytes even during cooler weather.
- Studies suggest that stretching can help to alleviate cramp and that regular stretching in muscles that are prone to cramping.
- Some studies of long term sufferers of cramp have shown magnesium supplementation to be helpful. Eat foods rich in magnesium and calcium and, if necessary, consider magnesium supplementation.
- Triathlete? If your position on the bike isn’t correct, you could be putting unnecessary load on certain muscle groups and causing them to cramp.
Unfortunately there is not one single answer to this question (if only there was!!)
The best way to avoid running injuries is to prevent them by taking a proactive approach rather than reactive.
- Perform an individually customised warm up and warm down routine specific to your body’s needs. For example you might suffer with a tight back so you should spend more time focusing on mobilising your back ready for action.
- Wear footwear suitable for your foot structure and running gait.
- Plan your training to avoid overtraining or get guidance from a coach.
- Increase your training by no more than 10% per week
If you do develop an ache or pain and you are not sure how to best manage your running injury, please consult your physiotherapist for their professional assistance.
Joint stiffness or a locked joint can be associated with any joint, muscle, tendon and ligament injury. Joints can lock and become stuck in an open or closed position. Much like a door that doesn’t quite fully swing open or close, it runs into something and it becomes stiff and/or painful.
Normally, a simple alignment or control issue has caused the joint to move in an awkward and unnatural direction. As a result, the joint treatment method used to correct your locked joints will vary depending upon your physiotherapist’s diagnosis.
Dry needling is an effective and efficient technique for the treatment of muscular pain and myofascial dysfunction. Dry needling or intramuscular stimulation (IMS) is a technique developed by Dr. Chan Gunn and is extremely effective for relaxing overactive muscles, which contain trigger points.
In simple terms, the treatment involves needling of a muscle’s trigger points without injecting any substance.
The approach is based on Western anatomical and neurophysiological principles. It should not to be confused with the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) technique of acupuncture. However, since the same filiment needles are used in both dry needling and acupuncture, the confusion is understandable.
Acupuncture originated in China over 5000 years ago. It’s based on the belief that health is determined by a balanced flow of chi, the vital life energy present in all living organisms.
According to acupuncture theory, chi circulates in the body along twelve major pathways, called meridians, each linked to specific internal organs and organ systems. By inserting very fine, sterile single-use needles at specific points along the meridians, your acupuncturist can redirect and reposition the flow of energy (chi) for the purpose of relieving tension, stress, and pain. The uninterrupted and balanced flow of energy along these meridians contributes to one’s overall health. However, blockages and imbalances result in pain and illness.
Static Stretching
Static stretching is considered the safest method of stretching. A static stretch should be held for 30 to 40 seconds at a point where you can feel the stretch but do not experience any discomfort. If you feel discomfort, ease back on the stretch. Do not bounce when holding the stretch. Static stretching should be performed after exercise as part of your warm down to improve your muscle length and joint flexibility.
Dynamic Stretching
Dynamic stretching are stretches performed at speed and prescribed by your sports physiotherapist or running coach. They are often used as a part of your warm-up for sport or training.
Dynamic stretches involve muscle movements that move a joint through the full range of movement that will be required in your chosen sport or activity.
For example, if your chosen activity requires sudden bursts of power, such as jumping or sudden acceleration, then specific ballistic stretches under the direction of your physiotherapist or coach may be advised as a part of your warm-up.
An ideal time to do most of your static stretching is after exercise, that is, immediately after your post-exercise warm down. Allow around 5 to 10 minutes to stretch after exercise, and concentrate on the muscles that you have just exercised. Use the static stretches rather than bouncing, dynamic style stretches. Stretching at this time helps restore your muscles to their resting length and prepare them for your next exercise session. While warm down stretches improve your muscle length and joint flexibility that helps you to improve sporting or athletic performance.
Yes! By lengthening your muscles via stretching, you promote flexibility and your ability to have a full range of motion about your joints, which can help reduce the risk of injury. It is important to stretch your muscles only when they are warm, as cold muscles are more likely to tear.
Sports Physiotherapy is the specialised branch of physiotherapy which deals with injuries and issues related to sports people.
A specialist running store may suggest a video gait analysis in order to fit you in a suitable running trainer. When an athlete is analysed statically, dynamically, and then running on the treadmill during a gait analysis, it serves to provide a unique, personal movement “map.” … Gait analysis uncovers precisely how your body is moving by slowing down the footage for assessment and correction purposes to make sure you get a trainer that fits your style of running.
Joint Pain
Joint pain, particularly in the joints of the knee and ankle, should never be ignored. Because these joints are not covered by muscle, pain here is rarely of muscular origin. Joint pain that lasts more than 48 hours requires a professional diagnosis.
Tenderness
If you can elicit pain at a specific point in a bone, muscle or joint, by pressing your finger into it, you may have a significant injury. If the same spot on the other side of the body does not produce the same pain, you should probably see your health professional.
Swelling
Nearly all sports or musculoskeletal injuries cause swelling. Swelling is usually quite obvious and can be seen, but occasionally you may just feel as though something is swollen or “full” even though it look normal. Swelling usual goes along with pain, redness and heat.
Reduced Range of Motion
If the swelling isn’t obvious, you can usually find it by checking for a reduced range of motion in a joint. If there is significant swelling within a joint, you will lose range of motion. Compare one side of the body with the other to identify major differences. If there are any, you probably have an injury that needs attention.
Weakness
Compare sides for weakness by performing the same task. One way to tell is to lift the same weight with the right and left side and look at the result. Or try to place body weight on one leg and then the other. A difference in your ability to support your weight is another suggestion of an injury that requires attention.
For a number of reasons, many runners develop injuries each year, no matter how careful we are.
Most of the time injuries come down to a change in workload. However, given enough time, our bodies are very good at adapting to increased workload.
If we gradually increase the distances that we run, the muscle, tendon, and bone cells can respond to this increased workload and increase their ‘strength’ and endurance. If, however, we increase this workload too quickly, these structures start to break down.
Changes in workload can be due to a change in:
- Distance / time / intensity of training
- Terrain, eg more hills, harder ground
- Footwear
- Running technique
Cross training is a great form of training from recreational runners just starting out to more experienced elite athletes who perhaps have a history of injury. Supplementing your running training with cross training is a great way to maximise your fitness off less mileage. Each cross training alternative has its own unique benefits, but all have less impact than running.
You won’t lose any fitness with five days away from the sport. If you do get injured and need an extended spell on the sideline, the rate at which you lose fitness can depend on how long you’ve been running for, how fit you were before the injury and how well you cross train.
Personally I’m not a fan of weighing myself too often, however most people recommend weighing once per week. But remember to do it on the same day – first thing in the morning after you use the bathroom, before you eat. Consistency is important.
This depends on the illness or injury in question. As a guide, if you’re feeling better and have managed to train and want to run it, then just start conservatively and see how the race progresses. If you start to feel really good, then pick up the pace. If not, just keep it as a training session. Don’t be afraid to adjust your goals. If you’re noting feeling 100% and feel you need more rest, then skip the race completely. There’s always plenty more opportunities.
Description: This is pain and inflammation along the inner border of the shinbone.
Symptoms: Tenderness along the length of the shinbone, especially during or after running.
Common causes: A sudden increase in training, or too much training on hard surfaces. Weak or tight muscles around the foot, shin and calf. Poor technique over striding in particular.
What to do: Ice and massage of the sore area and / or calf areas. Address any strength or flexibility issues in the muscles along the front and back of the lower leg and foot. Consider having your running gait and shoes assessed.
Description: Degeneration or inflammation of the plantar fascia, a web-like ligament that links the heel to the toes.
Symptoms: Pain under the heel or towards the back of the foot arch, especially on your first steps of the day.
Common causes: Stiff, immobile feet and calves, weak foot muscles, poor running technique and inappropriate footwear are frequent contributing factors.
What to do: Plantar fasciitis is really nasty as the onset can be quite slow then its so difficult to get rid of. You need to stop running and get specialist treatment as soon as possible. Swimming and cycling are good alternatives to keep fit. It is essential to get treatment as the injury can be still there after rest. The problem often stems from tight calves so you should see a sports massage therapist or a physiotherapist. They will apply deep massage to all areas of your calf and you need to have this done frequently at first then fairly regularly to keep your calves supple. You can also get a “night splint” or “night sock” online which can help. You will almost certainly find it painful when you take your first steps on a morning. During the night, fascia is tight it pulls on the calcaneus bone in your heel. Your brain sends a message that makes you scrunch your feet up whereas what is really needed is it to be stretched so that your foot goes upwards towards your leg. The scrunch movement makes it worse. The night splint keeps the foot stretched in the right way and the foot becomes less painful when you first walk. You can also massage the fascia itself to loosen it. Rolling it over a baseball is effective for this.
Description: Inflammation of the rope-like Achilles tendon that attaches to both calf muscles and the heel bone.
Symptoms: stiffness and tenderness along the back of the ankle, especially in the morning. It tends to ease off during running but returns afterwards.
Common causes: Tight calf muscles or stiff, inflexible feet or a sudden increase in training or too much speed work (especially on an athletics track).
What to do: Use ice to reduce inflammation, especially after running, and stretch your calves with both a straight and bent leg. Avoid running hills and speed work. Do some eccentric calf exercises to help the tendon to heal.
Discussion: More properly called patellofemoral pain syndrome, this is basically pain and inflammation behind the kneecap.
Symptoms: a persistent or throbbing pain behind the kneecap, often with heat or swelling. Tends to get worse after long periods of sitting or walking downstairs.
Common causes: Maltracking of the kneecap due to an imbalance in the muscles surrounding it (most commonly, weakness on the inner side of the quadriceps muscle and tightness on the outside). Tight quads or calves. Inappropriate running shoes.
What to do: Ice and anti-inflammatories can help to ease the pain. Taping (by a sports physiotherapist) can take the pressure off the sore area. Longer term, the aim is to strengthen the weak muscles and stretch the tight ones to prevent recurrence.
Description – Excessive force on bone causing a hairline crack to appear.
Symptoms: A very specific area of pain and tenderness that will normally feel worse on weight bearing but may also hurt when not weight bearing (even at night). The most common sites for a stress fracture in runners are the inside edge of the tibia (shin bone) and the metatarsals (the long toe bones).
Common causes: Overtraining doing too much, too soon. Poor technique, muscle weaknesses, or imperfect biomechanics can also be a factor.
What to do: Seek medical advice for a diagnosis if you suspect a stress fracture. Do not run, or you risk a full-blown fracture and much longer away from your running.
Description: Inflammation of the piriformis muscle, a small but important hip rotator in the buttock.
Symptoms: Soreness in the buttock often accompanied by pain or pins and needles along back of the thigh.
Common causes: An excessively tight piriformis, tight inner thigh muscles and weak outer thigh (hip) muscles. Over striding (strides that are too long), running on cambered roads or excessive downhill running.
What to do: Use a tennis ball to massage the sore area and apply ice. Stretch and strengthen the appropriate muscles.
Description: This is irritation of the long fibrous band of tissue, the iliotibial band (ITB) that runs along the side of the leg from the hip to just below the knee.
Symptoms: Pain is most commonly felt on the outside edge of the knee. You sometimes feel a ‘flicking’ sensation as the ITB passes over the outer edge of the thigh bone. Pain is exacerbated by downhill running.
Common causes: Poor running technique, weak gluteal muscles, sudden increases in training and inappropriate running shoes.
What to do: Ice and anti-inflammatories can help alleviate the pain. A foam roller can help ease out tightness in the ITB, or get a sports massage therapist to ‘strip’ it (painful but worth it!). Strengthen the glutes and stretch the ITB religiously.
Inflammation is both a blessing and a curse. In the short term, when you strain a muscle, inflammation is responsible for the recruitment of specialised cells to that tissue to promote healing. Chronic inflammation, however, is different. A chronically inflamed Achilles tendon, for example, can start to actually degenerate over time. Tendonitis (acute inflammation) can lead to chronic inflammation, which can lead to a tear in the tendon. My advice is if in doubt ice, it’s safe, it works and it helps prevent acute inflammation from becoming chronic. Then of course see a physiotherapist, if you haven’t already!
When the weather is hot you will need to increase the amount of fluid you drink to compensate as you will sweat more. Make sure you are well hydrated before you train. You might consider reducing your training on days when it is hot or humid. If you feel tired or light headed be sure to slow your pace or stop. Remember heart rate can be up as much as 5 bpm during particularly hot runs.
As a guide, symptoms above the neck—a runny nose, stuffiness, or sneezing—generally don’t require time off. Some studies even suggest running can even help with some cold symptoms because exercise releases adrenaline, also called epinephrine, which is a natural decongestant. This is why a run can clear out nasal passages. If you have a history of developing chest infections from a head cold I would suggest resting to be safe.
Clients often say to me, ‘I felt this pain in my…. But it wasn’t that bad at first so I kept on running but the pain got worse and now I can’t run’
Unfortunately this is a tricky balance to master. To stop or not stop. There’s injury prevention, and then there’s preventing a mild injury from becoming a major one. The key is to recognise when soreness or mild pain is a sign that something more serious will happen if you don’t take care of it. A general rule is that a little bit of pain is okay, but pain that changes the way you move needs to be checked out. For example, if your shin aches a bit when you run, that’s probably okay, but shin pain that changes the way you run definitely needs a diagnosis and both a treatment and a prevention plan.
The second question all runners ask! If you have ‘niggles’ or pain the first thing to do is stop. Pain is usually the body’s way of telling you something is wrong. When you have no pain walking around, don’t go out and do your usual run, but try jogging for a minute and walking for a minute a few times on soft ground to test it out. If you have no pain the next day then you can gradually build back into your training. If the pain doesn’t clear up within a day or two, think about going to see a physiotherapist for an assessment and recovery plan.
That’s the one question all runners ask! It’s not possible to give a personalised advice on injury without seeing a qualified physiotherapist. Following a training plan or signing up to one to one coaching may help you to avoid injury as the training increases gradually enabling you to adapt to your current load before moving on – the reason so many people do get injured. Another common cause of injury is ill-fitting footwear. A good specialist running shop will be able to analyse your running style and advise on appropriate footwear. Also taking a proactive rather than reactive approach to injuries is your best way to prevent injuries creeping up on you.
In most cases, I just move on after being sick. Making up workouts often puts more stress on the body when it probably needs a gentle return to full training. Don’t panic and try and make up for lost runs.
