cda
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Post by cda on Mar 25, 2010 17:55:26 GMT -5
I've been to a couple of hot yoga classes over the past few weeks as an experiment. My master plan was to develop my flexibility in order to drop enormous PBs. My first impression was promising, as I felt great after both sessions - all aches disappeared. Then I read this on sweatscience:
For years, researchers have been finding that the more flexible you are, the less efficiently you run...
Is incorporating hot yoga into my training regimen a good idea?
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jdome
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"Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt."
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Post by jdome on Mar 25, 2010 18:36:54 GMT -5
For years, researchers have been finding that the more flexible you are, the less efficiently you run... Every time this comes up, I give my pitifully short hamstrings a pat on the back... then repress any memories pertaining to the fact that I am no speedster... |
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Post by Young Pratticus on Mar 25, 2010 20:59:49 GMT -5
For years, researchers have been finding that the more flexible you are, the less efficiently you run... Is incorporating hot yoga into my training regimen a good idea? There is a high correlation between good running economy and less flexibility. However, correlation is not causation. It could be that high mileage is causing the improvements in RE, as well as causing the limited flexibility. As runners we don't need gymnast flexibility, but yoga would be beneficial if it keeps you injury free. On the other hand, some people really are so inflexible in the hamstrings that it limits their stride to a shuffle. They could definitely use some flexibility work. |
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scheibo
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Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!
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Post by scheibo on Mar 25, 2010 21:15:15 GMT -5
On the other hand, some people really are so inflexible in the hamstrings that it limits their stride to a shuffle. They could definitely use some flexibility work. Do you by any chance *know* the original poster? Uncanny. |
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F.T
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Post by F.T on Mar 25, 2010 21:24:37 GMT -5
For years, researchers have been finding that the more flexible you are, the less efficiently you run... maybe its because... people are doing hot yoga, when they should be out running |
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Post by Young Pratticus on Mar 25, 2010 22:45:32 GMT -5
On the other hand, some people really are so inflexible in the hamstrings that it limits their stride to a shuffle. They could definitely use some flexibility work. Do you by any chance *know* the original poster? Uncanny. Not at all. I'm just trying to help her out by posting someone else's explanation about this, and recalling my own experiences with flexibility training. |
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Post by andrin on Mar 26, 2010 1:36:50 GMT -5
BS. By increasing flexibility, you're increasing your body's range of motion. Think about that now in terms of running: for every stride you take, you'd go just a little bit farther than you would have before. And that can really add up in a race.
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mpd
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Post by mpd on Mar 26, 2010 7:09:45 GMT -5
There is a point where too much flexibility is not good, but, I almost guarantee that no one on this board has that problem, nor will that problem be met by a few months of hot yoga. Besides, you don't have to go into a yoga session with the sole goal of becoming more flexible. You can focus on breathing, balance, core, general strength.... there's a lot you can take away from it.
I use to do it fairly rigorously and it's something I'd love to start incorporating maybe 1 or 2 times a week.
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Post by Smithwicks on Mar 26, 2010 9:11:51 GMT -5
Stretching has been discussed prior in this forum.
I believe the general concenssus was that stretching wasn't important in running economy, thus had very little impact on improving race times.
Just did a cursory read of the following articles:
Does stretching improve performance? A systematic and critical review of the literature. Shrier. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, Vol 14, Issue 5, Pages 267-273, Sept 2004.
Pre-exercise strecthing does not impact upon running economy. Hayes and Walker. Journal of Strentgh and Conditioning Research, Vol 21, Issue 4, Pages 1227-1232, Nov 2007.
Passive static stretching of the lower extremity and the impact on running economy. Robinson, Riccardo, and Bradshaw. Research quarterly for exercise and sport. Vol 78, Issue 1, Pages A20-A21, Feb 2007.
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Post by ronb on Mar 26, 2010 9:51:51 GMT -5
BS. By increasing flexibility, you're increasing your body's range of motion. Think about that now in terms of running: for every stride you take, you'd go just a little bit farther than you would have before. And that can really add up in a race. Andrin, imho, your stride length needs to be such that you are able to keep your COG appropriately placed relative to your foot strike, and also allow you an optimal stride frequency. Any length of stride that does not permit the above, is usually too long. Many inefficient runners overstride over the longer distances, as compared to understride. |
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Post by responserunner on Mar 26, 2010 13:20:15 GMT -5
I used to a lot of milage and I didn't really stretch very much. My legs always felt tight in workouts and my running became unenjoyable. Personally I enjoy running and staying flexible makes my running more enjoyable, so I do my own yoga routine every morning. I haven't raced anything for sometime do to nagging injuries, so I can't comment on improved running times.
Some people hate stretching and will find every article that bashes it, some people think it prevents injury and make a part of their daily training routine, I think it's a personal preference.
And personally, I think hot yoga is stupid (overpriced too), it affected how fast I would recover from workouts due to dehydration (I'm guessing).
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Post by andrin on Apr 1, 2010 10:56:44 GMT -5
BS. By increasing flexibility, you're increasing your body's range of motion. Think about that now in terms of running: for every stride you take, you'd go just a little bit farther than you would have before. And that can really add up in a race. Andrin, imho, your stride length needs to be such that you are able to keep your COG appropriately placed relative to your foot strike, and also allow you an optimal stride frequency. Any length of stride that does not permit the above, is usually too long. Many inefficient runners overstride over the longer distances, as compared to understride. I'm talking more in terms of additional power you can achieve with every stride as opposed to literal stride distance. Since introducing strength and flexibility into my routine, I've definitely noticed a positive effect in my running. Of course, everyone's different I suppose. |
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Post by oldster on Apr 1, 2010 11:51:56 GMT -5
Interesting. I was a pretty religious pre and post-run stretcher for most of my career, but have cut back in the past 10 years or so-- at first because of time constraints, and lately because I've been questioning the value of the time spent. I still do some post-run yoga positions, but not religiously (no pun intended). Since I've cut back, I've noticed that I don't feel any different running; but, I do find stretching itself less comfortable when I do it. I've therefore come to the tentative conclusion that the principal benefit of stretching is to enable more comfortable stretching! As I say, I'm still hedging my bets by doing some stretching, but there are probably better ways for busy athletes to be spending their time (e.g. core and plyometrics, icing).
And Ronb is correct re: the range of motion thing. Andrin, I'm not questioning that stretching may be making your running feel better, for whatever personal reason; but, I think you're mixing up plyometric power (i.e. power off the ground) with stride length. Additional flexibility will not make your stride longer, but power off the ground (all other things being equal re: your ability to aerobically afford the extra energy costs) will make your stride longer at the same turnover, thereby enabling you to go faster. The extra power off the ground will simple enable you to "fly" further following each takeoff.
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oldbones
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And so it goes ...
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Post by oldbones on Apr 1, 2010 12:06:58 GMT -5
All those years of guilt lifted from my shoulders as a result of never once stretching! Tony Robbins has nothing on this board! Time to kick back with a guinness and rebuild my guilt quotient (maybe two ... ).  |
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Post by tripper on Apr 1, 2010 12:48:39 GMT -5
I like stretching, and am convinced it makes me more resilient to injury. Not necessarily in the running motion itself, but when I trip over something, have to hurdle a row of recycling boxes, run on rugged trails, occasionally play another sport, that kind of thing.
Yoga is an excellent compliment to running - strength, flexibility, improved breathing, all good. Never tried the hot variety.
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Post by ronb on Apr 1, 2010 21:16:39 GMT -5
Nothing against stretching or yoga... For some, it might be a matter of time management - how much time do you have, and what are your priority activities, in terms of meeting your goals as a distance runner?
Arthur Lydiard was not only a great Coach, but also a great story-teller. He told us (an audience of a couple of hundred in Vancouver in the early 1980's) the following tale...
He was hired, on a contract basis, to help out with the Danish distance runners. He said the Danes loved Gymnastics and stretching, etc., and used to start out on a run with some of the runners he was working with, and see other Danish runners, stretching on the infield.
And then, they would come back, after a solid 1 hour run, and see the same Danish runners still stretching on the infield, I think he referred to tying themselves up like pretzels or some such reference.....anyways, I think the point is obvious --- are you a distance runner, or a gymnast???
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cda
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Post by cda on Apr 15, 2010 12:39:25 GMT -5
Post mortem: Hurt my SI joint. Chiro blamed tendon fatigue due to yoga. In the midst of a week off. F***
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Post by lukesteer93 on Apr 16, 2010 16:01:39 GMT -5
Wow. I'm sorry about your injury, but that's pretty damn funny from an objective POV. I like my ABC's and a couple dynamic stretches after my warmup, but I never do anything static before running, and rarely anything after, mostly out of laziness. I've heard much about stretching reducing running economy, but I've also heard plenty about it reducing risk of injury. So I guess it all boils down to if you want to be fast for short periods of time, or a tad slower but injury free. All depends on your priorities, and what you're trying to get out of running I guess.
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Post by limestonemiler on Apr 16, 2010 18:35:20 GMT -5
Post mortem: Hurt my SI joint. Chiro blamed tendon fatigue due to yoga. In the midst of a week off. F*** That should not have happened unless you have dramatically changed your routine recently. Those kinda things are my bread and butter. |
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