Muscle Fiber Damage in Runners

In my previous blog about the Reasons to Stop Doing the 20 Mile Run, I noted that one of the dangers of being out on your feet for longer than 2:30 to 3:00 hours is muscle damage at the fiber level. Picture 1 here shows a healthy fiber. Picture 2 shows the damage that occurs after the bout of lengthy exercise. Look at how the dark bands are no longer straight but now crooked or disrupted. Picture 3 shows the damaged fibers after 14 days of recovery.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

The fibers are still dis-jointed and not returned to their non-injured state. This damage is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS. There is a very fine line between short term DOMS whereby your aerobic run was just long enough, you recovery quickly and not too long to experience minor DOMS.

There is a fine line between fitness gain and injury. Be sensitive to it as you embark on your weekend training runs. Remember Dr. Jack: he advocates no longer than 2:30 to 3:00 on your feet in one bout of running. Additional food for thought: The great Grete Waitz never ran more than 12 miles in training for the 1979 NYC marathon, she won. But she trained 80-90 miles a week, the key was how she put it all together. That's training.

If you would like to learn more about the Lydiard® Method, please visit our store, Running Niche, and talk with Bob Dyer or Jennifer Henderson, who are both Lydiard® Certified Coaches.