Runnin' (Gain It All)
The hows and whys of running for fun
Written By Amman Ahmed
There are certain rules of the world that are inflexible - gravity keeps things down, oxygen keeps us alive and people in their twenties start running. I have recently become the proud owner of a Strava account, boasting multiple runs around Camden, and even one down to the Thames! The beauty of running is that the barrier to entry is incredibly low - you just have to be able to step outside and start running. But once that door is opened, it’s very hard to resist the depths you can dive into - questions, goals and theories sing their tunes, luring you in. But why ignore them? Here are some of my questions and answers for running.
Is stretching real?
For as long as I can remember, I have been vehemently against stretching. Why waste time standing still when I can be moving fast? But as a true scientist I gave stretching a try and I must concede – stretching works.
Our muscles don’t enjoy being told to suddenly get to work out of nowhere. They may be part of the same neurological system that asked for the endorphins, but the message doesn’t seem to reach them in good time. Stretching is a way to bridge this communication gap, slowly easing your muscles into movements that stretch and lengthen them in advance of the intensity that is approaching. Regular stretching helps to shift your muscles into a longer, leaner and more flexible shape that positively feeds back into your running ability.
“Running economy” is a research measure when investigating running, looking at the oxygen consumption at a particular running velocity(1). This demonstrates how well muscles are able to meet their energy demand and sustain activity. Stretching improves running economy, enabling greater activity while also lowering perceived exertion. You’re basically tricking your own muscles into working better by doing some funny movements.
There’s some debate into the value of static over dynamic stretches(2). The core difference is that dynamic stretching will incorporate an additional pulling motion atop the standard static stretch. Some studies have shown dynamic stretching more effectively improves running power, sprint speed and range of motion. By gently increasing motion,dynamic stretching enables greater activation of your muscles at the joints, preparing more of the muscle for activity.
What do I eat after?
On my first “morning after” I was tired and light-headed, using it as a very valid reason to leave my ward round early. But all that soon changed as I found the miracle drug - chocolate milk.
The aim of a post-run drink is to replenish all the fuel you used up so rapidly. Glycogen is the primary energy source of muscles during high intensity and endurance activities, so it’s one of the key macromolecules to restore. Fortunately, chocolate milk comes with a very high carbohydrate count, rivalling many (expensive) sports drinks.
One of the main measures of a suitable recovery drink is the carbohydrate:protein ratio. The gold standard is a ratio of 4:1, which I imagine to be plastered across the walls of sport drink laboratories. Chocolate milk has that ratio - no years of fine-tuning and experimentation necessary. As you may expect, it also comes with calcium, which is happily taken up by both the recovering bones and muscles. Finally there’s a healthy sodium content that makes up for the profuse sweating you return home with.(3)
Why is it good?
It could definitely be placebo, but after a month of running I do genuinely feel an improvement in my happiness. On a simple level: it’s fun to go fast, it’s extra fun to overtake people and it’s nice to switch off the mental noise for a little while.
Exercise has a well-explored role in learning and memory, showing some protection from neurodegeneration. Rodent studies that look specifically at running demonstrate an improvement in memory through increases in cell proliferation, neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity(4). In one study, two months of voluntary wheel running increased neurogenesis in hippocampal areas, which may extend to adult human regions of neurogenesis. This neuronal growth was also followed through with an increase in neuronal integration into hippocampal circuitry, allowing them to support new learning through synaptic plasticity. By adding new neurones into pre-existing neural circuits the connections can be strengthened, improving the quality of learning and memory.
Rodent studies have also explored a role of endocannabinoids in delivering the “runner’s high”, but this data has varying applicability to humans. A 2022 systematic review (5) found that the endocannabinoid system is activated by acute aerobic exercise, feeding the anxiolytic and euphoric experiences of a runner’s high; however, this association was inverted with chronic aerobic exercise, where endocannabinoid levels decreased. Further work in 2023 (6) again emphasised the role of the endocannabinoid system in widespread body changes during the “runner’s high”, such as increases in insulin sensitivity, bronchodilation and changes in neurotransmitters like serotonin. Further natural studies in humans should more clearly elucidate the link between the long-term changes in runners via the endocannabinoid system. Maybe one day this work will provide an explanation for why so many running shoes find themselves hidden in closets after two months.
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Running inspires many more questions than I’ve tried to answer. The biggest one that next comes to mind is the ideal running form, which would likely have its own barrage of literature to rummage through. What I like about running is that, again, the barrier of entry means you can investigate in simpler ways. Sometimes you just need to watch how someone else runs and decide if there’s anything you want to take away (or avoid doing) based on that. Some science is best done firsthand.
So, even if you don’t become the twenty year old who runs, you will most likely know one at some point soon, so tell them to stretch, drink chocolate milk and be in awe of their big brains.
Read the rest of the edition here.