Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 101, December 2017 | Page 33

COACHING
BODY SCIENCE
physical stress will result in the body becoming less efficient
at managing that particular stress. If we apply this to running,
consider the muscular and skeletal stress the body is placed
under. With every stride, muscles contract to create movement
and stabilise the body, and the skeletal structure experiences and
manages impact every time the foot strikes the ground.
The term “Progressive Overload” describes a process of applying
a small yet substantial amount of stress for a set amount of time,
followed by a set period of rest and recovery. The recovery period
allows the body to repair damaged tissues, making them slightly
more adept at managing the stresses. This applies to all forms
of exercise, including running. However, if the stress applied is
too great or lasts too long, or the recovery is insufficient, the
body isn’t able to adequately repair damaged tissues. Doing
this repeatedly will lead to a gradual degeneration of the tissues,
leading to pain and possibly injury.
The 10% rule
When it comes to increasing your running mileage, the best advice is do
so by no more than 10% from one week to the next.
– BY ERNEST HOBBES, BIOMECHANIST
T
his time of year sees many people reaching into the back of their closets to once again pull out
their running shoes, and as difficult as those first few runs are, they begin to feel much easier
very quickly, tempting runners to push themselves further. Until the body fights back... and
that’s why runners are advised to increase their weekly mileage by a maximum of 10%. Furthermore,
this rule applies not only to novice runners, but also to those building up to their first 21km, or their
first marathon or ultra.
The first thing to understand is just how amazing your body is. If you apply the appropriate stress to
the body, it will become better able to manage that stress. The opposite is true as well, that avoiding
reaches the liver for processing, the liver places all of its attention on the alcohol.
If you drink very slowly, all the alcohol is collected by the liver and processed
immediately, avoiding all other body systems. However, if you drink quickly, the
liver cannot keep up and the alcohol continues to circulate in the body until the liver
is available to process it. That’s why drinking large amounts, or drinking quickly,
affects the brain centres involved with speech, vision, reasoning and judgment.
But wait, there’s more…
Alcohol is also a diuretic, meaning that it causes water-loss and dehydration,
causing the loss of important minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium
and zinc. These minerals are vital to the maintenance of fluid balance, chemical
reactions, and muscle contraction and relaxation. Added to that, when the body
is focused on processing alcohol, it is not able to properly break down foods
containing carbohydrates and fat. Therefore, these calories are converted into body
fat. Meanwhile, alcohol contains seven calories per gram and offers no nutritional
value. It only adds empty calories to your diet. Also, skipping a meal to save your
calories for drinks later is a bad idea. If you come to the bar hungry, you are even
more likely to munch on unhealthy snacks, which are often salty, making you
thirsty and leading to more drinking. Rather eat a healthy meal first, and sip water
between drinks – you’ll feel fuller, which will stop you from over-drinking.
Alcohol affects your body in other negative ways:
1 Drinking may help induce sleep, but the sleep you get isn’t very deep, which can
trigger you to eat more calories the next day.
The 10% rule is a very general guideline to reduce this risk of pain
and injury – by applying stress and incrementally increasing the
dosage (weekly mileage), the body is able to adapt and manage
the stress sufficiently. Keep in mind that it is just a guideline, as
every runner has a different tolerance for physical stress. Some
runners may find that even a 10% increase in weekly mileage still
leads to pain. Others may be able to safely increase mileage at a
higher rate.
Injuries occur simply because stress exceeds tolerance, and each
runner should adjust their weekly mileage based on how their
body responds to the increase, with the rule of thumb being slow
and steady is best. A more gradual increase leads to a lower risk
of pain and injury, and thus 10% is as good a starting point as
any.
About the Author
Ernest is a biomechanical, video, and running gait analyst at the
High Performance Centre (HPC) of the University of Pretoria.
2 Alcohol can also increase the amount of acid that your stomach produces,
causing your stomach lining to become inflamed.
3 Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to serious health problems, including
stomach ulcers, liver disease and heart trouble.
4 Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, which is detrimental to your diet plans. Research
shows that if you drink before or during a meal, both your inhibitions and willpower
are reduced, so you are more likely to overeat, especially greasy or fried foods,
which can add to your waistline.
5 Alcohol actually stimulates your appetite.
Moderation is key
In any weight-loss plan, there are three main components: Diet, exercise and sleep.
As stated, a moderate amount of alcohol can increase total calories, decrease
your motivation for exercise and healthy eating, and negatively affect your sleep.
Despite this, many people can enjoy a drink or two without throwing those three
components completely out of whack. On the other hand, drinking heavily can
significantly derail energy levels, has a larger influence on dehydration, negatively
impacts hormonal levels, and can significantly disrupt your sleep. Therefore, limit
your overall intake of alcohol and you will reap some of the enjoyment of alcohol
consumption, while not derailing your overall progress. As with all things in life,
moderation is the key.
About the Author
Christene is a registered dietician based in the Johannesburg area.
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