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🦴🤕🏃‍♀️🧪 How to Reduce Bone Injury Risks | Running Science

🤖 AI Summary

This 🎙️ video discusses the art and science of running with Dr. Rich Willy from the University of Montana Missoula. The 🗣️ conversation focuses on the causes and prevention of bone stress injuries among ultra-marathoners.

  • 🦴 Bone Stress Injuries: An increase in bone stress injuries is happening among elite ultra-marathoners, attributed to high training volume, increased running speed, and the sport’s physiological demands [01:06].
  • 🔋 Physiology and Energy: Running is not a highly bone-stimulating activity, and a lack of adequate nutrient and caloric intake, known as “Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport” (RED-S), can lead to bone mass loss, increasing injury susceptibility [10:35].
  • 🏋️‍♀️ Training and Prevention: Incorporating strength training with heavy, fast movements like squats and plyometrics is a crucial strategy to improve bone health and prevent injuries [34:02]. A “minimally effective dose” is important to avoid overtraining and additional caloric expenditure [42:47].
  • 👟 Footwear Influence: Different shoe designs, such as zero-drop or rocker-soled shoes, can affect biomechanical loads and stress on the legs and feet. Shoes are considered a tool that supports overall physiological health and training [49:55].

🤔 Evaluation

This podcast offers a 👨‍🔬 science-backed perspective on running injuries, contrasting with more anecdotal or training-log-focused approaches. It emphasizes the physiological and mechanical underpinnings of bone health, shifting the focus from simply “running more” to “running smarter.” Topics to 🧠 explore further could include the psychological component of ultra-marathoning and how it interacts with the physical demands of the sport, as well as a more in-depth discussion of specific nutritional strategies to combat RED-S.

📚 Book Recommendations

  • Born to Run by Christopher McDougall: This book offers a 🏃‍♂️ narrative look at endurance running and biomechanics, providing a different, more story-based perspective than the scientific discussion in the podcast.
  • 💪🧪 Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery by Christie Aschwanden: This book 🔍 investigates the science of sports recovery, which is a related topic to injury prevention and training.
  • The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition by Matt Fitzgerald: This book provides actionable 🍎 nutritional advice, expanding on the topic of energy deficiency mentioned in the video.
  • Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson: This book explores the 🧠 mental and physical limits of endurance, offering a contrasting perspective on how the brain influences athletic performance.