Marathon training: Don’t let shin splints derail your preparations!
Category: Sports Performance | Specialism: Strength and Conditioning
This article was originally posted as a blog in the Inspiring Fitness (UK) web site.
Are you training for the Virgin London Marathon? After your runs, do you experience pain in the front lower part of your leg? Does it increase, the more you run? It is probably shin splints. But what can you do to prevent and treat these symptoms? Rest is one answer but, with January 24th marking the 3 months countdown till the race, now is not the time to be disrupting your preparation! In my first in a series of blogs I’ll be writing on marathon training, I’ll explain how to avoid this overuse injury.
Shin pain is common in joggers and other sports that involve a lot of running and jumping (soccer, rugby, basketball, etc). Shin splints describes any pain in the front of the lower leg, usually along the inside edge of the shin bone (tibia) but most commonly a condition called medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS).The pain may initially be a dull ache after exercise but eventually it may become more constant and severe. If you suffer these symptoms, it is important to rule out any more serious conditions which may mimic shin splints. These include stress fracture, exercise-induced compartment syndrome, and popliteal artery entrapment. A physiotherapist should be able to properly diagnose these conditions.What Factors Increase My Chances of Developing Shin Splints?
· Hamstring and heal cord tightness· High or low arches· Females are more predisposed than males, probably due to their greater hip angles causing pronation of the foot when running
The two heads of the ‘gastroc’ muscle are the two meaty parts at the back of your leg which you recognize as your calf. This muscle can be stretched using either a heal drop stretch or staggered leg standing calf (wall) stretch.2) SoleusThe often forgotten soleus muscle run underneath the gastrocnemius. Whilst the two heads of the gastroc attach above the knee, the soleus attaches at the back of the tibia. Shin splints if often found to be associated with irritation of the inner part of the soleus and its deep insertion via facia onto the bone, called the ‘soleus bridge.The soleus is stretched in a similar manner to the gastrocnemius but with the knee slightly flexed to relax the gastroc to relax whilst the soleus is at full stretch.3) Hamstrings
The hamstrings are part of the closed kinetic chain (series of muscles that produces a movement) in the back of the leg, along with the calf muscles. Tightness in the hamstrings can cause the foot to point down (plantar flex), resembling tight calf muscles, increasing the pressure on the lower leg during running, potentially leading to MTSS
Stretches for the hamstrings include supine (lying down on back) and standing hamstring stretches. The muscles and movements that should be strengthened are the ones that oppose the agonist movements of the calves. These include tibialis anterior (dorsi flexion, inversion) and tibialis posterior (inversion).Consult your personal trainer on how to conduct any of these stretching and strengthening exercises.
Are you training for the Virgin London Marathon? After your runs, do you experience pain in the front lower part of your leg? Does it increase, the more you run? It is probably shin splints. But what can you do to prevent and treat these symptoms? Rest is one answer but, with January 24th marking the 3 months countdown till the race, now is not the time to be disrupting your preparation! In my first in a series of blogs I’ll be writing on marathon training, I’ll explain how to avoid this overuse injury.
What are shin splints?
Shin pain is common in joggers and other sports that involve a lot of running and jumping (soccer, rugby, basketball, etc). Shin splints describes any pain in the front of the lower leg, usually along the inside edge of the shin bone (tibia) but most commonly a condition called medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS).The pain may initially be a dull ache after exercise but eventually it may become more constant and severe. If you suffer these symptoms, it is important to rule out any more serious conditions which may mimic shin splints. These include stress fracture, exercise-induced compartment syndrome, and popliteal artery entrapment. A physiotherapist should be able to properly diagnose these conditions.
What Causes Shin Splints?
Shin splints pain is caused by an irritation and swelling of the membrane (periosteum) surrounding tibia, and/or the tendons that attach to the bone. There are 2 main categories of causes for this irriatation; exercise mistakes and structural or muscle imbalances. Training mistakes that can be made which put the soft tissue structures around the shin under increased stress include:· Sudden increases in volume and/or intensity of training· Running on hard surfaces· Wearing shoes with inadequate support or cushioning · Poor running technique like too much forward or backward lean or toes pointed outwardsAny single or combination of the following muscle imbalances can lead to the above technique issues and cause shin splints:· Tight/strong calf muscles· Weak muscles on the front of the shin· Overpronation, i.e. when the foot strikes the ground, the ankle rolls excessively inward.What Factors Increase My Chances of Developing Shin Splints?
· Hamstring and heal cord tightness· High or low arches· Females are more predisposed than males, probably due to their greater hip angles causing pronation of the foot when runningTreatment
1) Rest – avoid high impact activities for a week to 10 days. To maintain your preparations, try using a stationary or road bike, or in water activities like swimming or submerged running.2) Ice, Compression and Elevation – Apply ice for 15-20mins after exercise. Compression with an elastic bandage. Elevate to alleviate swelling.3) Over the counter pain medication for a short period. Obviously consult a physician before taking medication or if taken for a prolong period.4) Conducting a muscle stretching routine will help rehabilitate exercisers who have developed MTSS.Prevention
A much better option than treatment is preventing shin splints before they disrupt your training schedule.1) Warm up properly!- The warm up increases blood flow to the muscles and increases nerve impulses. It should focus on large muscle groups, especially those in the legs. If you have already developed symptoms of MTSS, jogging may make the problem worse. In that case, use other exercises that require less impact, like bike riding, to warm up.2) Avoiding rapid increases in intensity, frequency, and/or duration of workouts is one of the best ways to prevent MTSS.- As a rule, your workout volume or intensity should not increase by more than 10% per week.3) Replace worn trainers when the cushioning and foot support is compromised.4) Plan your route so that you do not run on hard surfaces and down or uphill all at the same time because all the terrains can worsen shin splints.1) Elongation of muscles through stretching have been shown to prevent shin splints2) Strengthening weak muscles around the ankle will help stop MTSS developing.What Muscles Do I Stretch And Which Do I Strengthen?
The following muscles will need to be stretched to help prevent or cure shin splints:1) GastrocnemiusThe two heads of the ‘gastroc’ muscle are the two meaty parts at the back of your leg which you recognize as your calf. This muscle can be stretched using either a heal drop stretch or staggered leg standing calf (wall) stretch.2) SoleusThe often forgotten soleus muscle run underneath the gastrocnemius. Whilst the two heads of the gastroc attach above the knee, the soleus attaches at the back of the tibia. Shin splints if often found to be associated with irritation of the inner part of the soleus and its deep insertion via facia onto the bone, called the ‘soleus bridge.The soleus is stretched in a similar manner to the gastrocnemius but with the knee slightly flexed to relax the gastroc to relax whilst the soleus is at full stretch.3) Hamstrings
The hamstrings are part of the closed kinetic chain (series of muscles that produces a movement) in the back of the leg, along with the calf muscles. Tightness in the hamstrings can cause the foot to point down (plantar flex), resembling tight calf muscles, increasing the pressure on the lower leg during running, potentially leading to MTSS
Stretches for the hamstrings include supine (lying down on back) and standing hamstring stretches. The muscles and movements that should be strengthened are the ones that oppose the agonist movements of the calves. These include tibialis anterior (dorsi flexion, inversion) and tibialis posterior (inversion).Consult your personal trainer on how to conduct any of these stretching and strengthening exercises.
In summary
If you want to avoid shin splints and run the best marathon of your life,· Wear the right shoes· Warm Up· Stretch – calf muscles and hamstring· Strengthen – ankle movements· Avoid excessive hill running and hard surface· Don’t be tempted to dramatically increase your training intensity or volume. 10% per week at the most! Look out for my next blog to find out what other strength training exercises you can do to improve your running performance.Tags:
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football,
gastrocnemius,
hamstrings,
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marathon,
pain,
posterior,
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running,
shin,
soccer,
soleus,
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tibialis,
tight,
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