The Physiology of Running and Recovery | Active.com
I took away a couple interesting facts from this Active.com article on the physiology of running and recovery. Breaking It Down: Physiology, Running and Recovery | Active.com.
First, scientific explanations just resonate with me. So their detailed description of the cellular degeneration-regeneration cycle of muscles was a great review from my earlier years. And either my memory is slipping or science has advanced (a bit of both I’m sure), because this description contains more specifics than I recall learning about in the past.
On the training side, their 10-percent rule is helpful. “Don’t increase your mileage by more than 10 percent over a given time period, usually a week. For example, if you run 20 miles one week, you should not increase your running volume for the next week by more than two miles.”
With regards to self-medicating, it’s advised to limit Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory (NSAID) use (i.e. ibuprofen). “…studies show that long-term NSAID use following muscle breakdown leads to a decreased regenerative ability of the muscles.”
