A person who runs assiduously differs from a sedentary individual by presenting a string of defining qualities, such as some of the following:
- Greater cardiorespiratory capacity
- Lower level of fatigue in the face of certain workloads.
- Lower percentage of lipids in the blood.
- Better blood oxygenation
- Easier adaptation to climatic changes
- Better response to external stimuli and stressful situations
- Greater strength in the face of disease
- Greater bone strength
- Increased muscular capacity
The muscular DNI
From the moment of conception, each person is conditioned to have certain physical qualities, such as height, hormonal development, skin, eye and hair color, as well as a specific muscular quality.
Muscles are made up of slow fibers (type I fibers) and fast fibers (type II fibers). All the muscles that make up the locomotor apparatus are made up of a mixture of both types of fibers, although depending on the percentage of one or the other, the person will be better adapted to strength, endurance, speed or endurance activities.
A long-distance runner has around 75% slow fibers and 25% fast fibers, and in the case of a sprinter the percentages are reversed, while in the case of a sedentary person they can be divided by 50%.
However, it is not only genetics that is responsible for these percentages, since the body and the muscles that compose it can also be molded with certain training plans.
Muscle function
As such, muscle has two basic functions:
- Regulating posture: this is done through muscle tone, maintaining a state of variable semi-concentration in each muscle, without which people would fall to the ground. In fact, even when we sleep, we maintain a certain muscle tone.
- Dynamic function: making any movement or voluntary gesture requires the participation of the central nervous system, regulating each muscle directly involved in each gesture with three objectives:
- Muscle coordination
- Modify the anatomical segment, depending on the loads and the environment.
- Controlling the center of gravity and balance
Muscles are responsible for moving the locomotor apparatus, and there is no sport that does not require specific muscular work.
The predominance of African runners in marathons is not accidental, since their physiognomy shows an adaptation of their physique to run many kilometers, without fat and with the lowest possible weight, with long and thin muscles.
The role of muscles during running
In the movement, each muscle plays a role and they are usually grouped by muscle groups with the same function and those with the opposite function, Agonists and Antagonists. For example the quadriceps, which joins the crural, rectus anterior, vastus internus and externus; they have the same function, being flexors of the thigh, they would have their antagonist in the posterior thigh muscles, semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris. For the movement to occur, a muscle or muscle group must be activated and the antagonists must be relaxed.
- Gluteus maximus: it contracts just before the foot is placed on the ground and at the beginning of foot contact, its function is to extend and adduct the thigh.
- Tensor of the fascia lata: it contracts before the contact of the foot and in the final phase of propulsion and beginning of the lifting of the foot on the ground. Abduction function and provides stability to the knee.
- Psoas-Iliac: the peak of activity is at the end of the stance phase and at the beginning of toe-off. It flexes the pelvis and thigh vigorously.
- Sartorius: active during the aerial phase or balance of the foot in the air, at the moment when the toes lift off the ground. It is the only muscle of the lower limb that crosses the hip and knee joints.
- Adductors: have a peak of activity at toe-off and just before the foot contacts the ground.
- Hamstrings: their peak activity is found at the moment when the foot is supported and at the propulsive moment of the forefoot, being collaborators of the calves. Powerful knee flexors and moderate hip extensors.
- Quadriceps: it is put in a state of pretension before the support and has its highest point of activity at the beginning of the support of the foot, slowing the acceleration of the knee forward.
- Popliteus: it acts in the support and propulsion of the foot and prevents the femur from moving over the tibia.
- Anterior tibialis: acts when the heel touches the ground and to lift off and elevate the forefoot.
- Posterior tibial: its activity occurs in the full stance phase of the foot. Decelerator of the pronation of the foot.
- Gemelli and soleus: its highest activity takes place at the moment of propulsion, taking the heel off the ground and stabilizing the knee.
- Peroneals: help to limit supination of the foot in the propulsion phase and together with the posterior tibialis help in ankle stabilization.
Final considerations
- Muscles move people thanks to the forces applied to the bones through the joints, which are fed with oxygen from the blood that in turn has been pumped by the heart and previously oxygenated thanks to the action of the lungs.
- Muscles, tendons, bones, cardiovascular system and respiratory system are improved with regular exercise.
- To achieve optimal sporting results, running should be complemented with specific work and strength training.
- All muscles play a key role during running.
- Imbalances in the skeletal structure can lead to joint and muscle imbalances that will result in abnormal movements during running, leading to injury.
- When injuries are repetitive, we should undergo a biomechanical study, although the ideal would be to do it before the injury appears.
- The sports doctor, traumatologist, podiatrist, physiotherapist and trainer are the professionals who can best advise you.
- Take care of your muscles, they are for life.