Question 1

How strength training prevents running injuries

Accepted Answer

In addition to strengthening your muscles, strength training also strengthens your tendons, teaches you good movement patterns, and improves your position sense.

Strong muscles and tendons take longer to fatigue when you run, which means that you can sustain good running form for longer. They also reduce the impact on your joints as they can absorb more of the force.

Improved movement patterns and position sense have been shown to reduce the risk of sprains and strains. Read more about this in the next section.

Question 2

Position sense is often-overlooked

Accepted Answer

Position sense (also called proprioception) refers to your brain’s ability to know exactly where your body is without looking at it. For example, it’s position sense that allows you to run up and down stairs without looking at your feet.

As mentioned before, poor position sense has been found to increase your risk of sustaining sprains and strains when you run.

The good news is that it’s easy to improve your position sense by doing balancing exercises and by focusing on your technique when performing strength training. This is why several of the workouts in our injury prevention plan focus on balance and control.

Question 3

Injury prevention is multi-faceted

Accepted Answer

Having optimal movement patterns, strength, and control does not guarantee that you will remain injury-free. Several factors can combine and contribute to why runners get injured. Some examples include training errors, diet, sleep, stress, lack of good post-workout recovery, and warm-ups.

We've included reading resources in the prevention plan that teach you about the different aspects of injury prevention and how you can master them.

Question 4

Research references

Accepted Answer

Cloosterman, Kyra LA, et al. “Educational online prevention programme (the SPRINT study) has no effect on the number of running-related injuries in recreational runners: a randomised-controlled trial.” British journal of sports medicine56.12 (2022): 676-682.
Dhillon, Gurmeet K., et al. “What are the perceptions of runners and healthcare professionals on footwear and running injury risk?.” BMJ open sport & exercise medicine6.1 (2020): e000767.
Fokkema T, Vos RD, van Ochten JM, et al Preventing running-related injuries using evidence-based online advice: the design of a randomised-controlled trialBMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2017;3: e000265. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2017-000265
Fokkema, Tryntsje, et al. “Enhanced injury prevention programme for recreational runners (the SPRINT study): design of a randomised controlled trial.” BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine6.1 (2020): e000780.
Fokkema, Tryntsje, et al. “Opinions, barriers, and facilitators of injury prevention in recreational runners.” journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy49.10 (2019): 736-742.
Fokkema, Tryntsje, et al. “Online multifactorial prevention programme has no effect on the number of running-related injuries: a randomised controlled trial.” British journal of sports medicine53.23 (2019): 1479-1485.
Hollander, Karsten, et al. “Sex-specific differences in running injuries: a systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression.” Sports Medicine51.5 (2021): 1011-1039.
Hofstede, H., et al. “In training for a marathon: Runners and running-related injury prevention.” Physical Therapy in Sport41 (2020): 80-86.
Hsu, Chia-Li, et al. “Common running musculoskeletal injuries and associated factors among recreational gorge marathon runners: An investigation from 2013 to 2018 taroko gorge marathons.” International journal of environmental research and public health17.21 (2020): 8101.
Lauersen, Jeppe Bo, Thor Einar Andersen, and Lars Bo Andersen. “Strength training as superior, dose-dependent and safe prevention of acute and overuse sports injuries: a systematic review, qualitative analysis and meta-analysis.” British journal of sports medicine52.24 (2018): 1557-1563.
Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen LBThe effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trialsBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2014;48: 871-877.
Leppänen, Mari, et al. “Interventions to prevent sports related injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.” Sports medicine44.4 (2014): 473-486.
Matias, Alessandra B., et al. “Effects of Foot-Core Training on Foot-Ankle Kinematics and Running Kinetics in Runners: Secondary Outcomes From a Randomized Controlled Trial.” Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology(2022): 599.
Napier, Christopher, and Richard W. Willy. “The prevention and treatment of running injuries: A state of the art.” International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy16.4 (2021): 968.
Peterson, Benjamin, et al. “Biomechanical and Musculoskeletal Measurements as Risk Factors for Running-Related Injury in Non-elite Runners: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies.” Sports medicine-open8.1 (2022): 1-26.
Smyth, Erin A., et al. “Injury prevention strategies specific to pre-elite athletes competing in Olympic and professional sports—a systematic review.” Journal of science and medicine in sport22.8 (2019): 887-901. Kemler, Ellen, et al. “Differences in injury risk and characteristics of injuries between novice and experienced runners over a 4-year period.” The Physician and sportsmedicine46.4 (2018): 485-491.
Vincent, Heather K., Michael Brownstein, and Kevin R. Vincent. “Injury prevention, safe training techniques, rehabilitation, and return to sport in trail runners.” Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation4.1 (2022): e151-e162.
Wolthon, Alexander, et al. “Running shoes, pronation, and injuries: do beliefs of injury risk factors among running shoe salespersons and physiotherapy students align with current aetiology frameworks?.” Footwear Science 12.2 (2020): 101-111.
Wilke, Jan, Oliver Vogel, and Lutz Vogt. “Why are you running and does it hurt? Pain, motivations and beliefs about injury prevention among participants of a large-scale public running event.” International journal of environmental research and public health16.19 (2019): 3766.
https://www.running-physio.com/skimpyresearch/

Running injury prevention plan