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Which is better: running on the track and on the street
The expert answered the question that all joggers have.
During the recent quarantine, many thought about purchasing treadmills. Now, when we were released, a natural question arose: is there a significant difference in running training at home and on the street? We decided to sort this out together with the specialist – the executive director of the League for the Promotion of Podiatry, health fitness trainer Olga Chizhevskaya.
Executive Director of the League for the Advancement of Podiatry, Wellness Fitness Trainer
An international team of researchers led by Joel Fuller of Macquarie University in Australia tried to answer this question by combining the results of 34 studies with a total of 468 participants.
Key takeaway: running is running. And it would be wrong to expect a colossal difference. If you feel differently, check the treadmill belt calibration.
However, some differences do exist.
1. Lack of air (wind) resistance
Back in 1996, American experts published an article comparing energy consumption when running outdoors and on a treadmill. Training on a treadmill burned about 4% less energy. However, it was experimentally found that this difference can be easily eliminated by increasing the slope of the track by 1%.
2. Stress load
Frequent running injuries are called fatigue injuries. They occur as a result of wear and tear of muscles, cartilage, tendons over time with the same type of load. Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists at Harvard Medical School who have studied the difference between running on a treadmill and running on the ground have suggested that fatigue injuries occur more frequently when you repeat the same running motion thousands and thousands of times on a flat, hard surface. At the same time, the inevitable unevenness of rough terrain when running on the street, on the ground, asphalt or grass reduces the likelihood of overloading in the same place.
3. Differences in biomechanics
Agree, there is a difference whether you are jogging on the street, accelerating with your whole body, or the treadmill is accelerating under you. Experts note that when running on the simulator, the cadence (the frequency with which a person touches the surface while running) increases. In this case, the “flight phase” is correspondingly reduced and the shock load on the joints is slightly reduced.
4. Psychological factor and weather conditions
Spending time outdoors, especially in nature, has obvious benefits: both a positive attitude and an improved quality of sleep are not to be enumerated.
Not without practical research, this time from the British universities of Exeter and Essex. Subjects running in green spaces reported greater feelings of well-being, as well as reduced tension, confusion, and anger. However, without a doubt, the tests were carried out on sunny days.
So the advantages of a treadmill outweigh only when there is a storm, hurricane and snow drifts outside. Then the simulator minimizes the risks and allows you not to give up your active lifestyle.
The risks are the same for any running workout
What do fresh-baked marathon runners, distance runners, treadmill enthusiasts, or even high-intensity walkers have in common? They are united by the fact that they are all … individual. Each person has his own pattern (drawing) of running. The foot (a unique mechanism of 31 joints) performs movements determined by its individual biomechanics. Moreover, it is not always optimal. This is why it is so important for novice runners to pre-test the features of their musculoskeletal system with a sports doctor or podiatrist (foot specialist).
If there are any errors, the doctor will be able to correct them with foot orthoses. Important factor: salon or pharmacy orthopedic insoles are not an assistant here. To restore the physiologically natural distribution of the load on the foot, individual orthoses made for the anatomical features of a particular person help.
Until the rainy autumn and winter took us by surprise, take this opportunity – go jogging in the park, square, in nature. And instead of listening to music on your headphones, listen to the trills of birds. This year there are especially many of them, even within the city. Run the march towards a great mood!