Quad & Knee Burn Out When Running

Recently I posted about the importance of our Gluteal muscles for activity, especially in running and cycling. I want to break this down a bit further in terms of running technique as I know many people when running long distances (including myself) have suffered from Quadriceps (thigh muscle) burn out/cramping.

When I'm coaching runners there are some key areas that most of us need to improve, Glute strength is a big factor, but what can we do while we run? What should we be thinking about? People mistakenly focus on the issue furthest from the problem, your foot strike, but this can be dealt with by improving the core cause.

I say core cause as it is the balance of the core musculature and the hip flexors holding this pattern. In running the big toe has a direct connection to the function of the hip but in this post we will imagine there is no obvious dysfunction at the foot level. With increasing sedentary lives hip flexors can become tight so that when we stand up we are slightly bent over from the hip, When running this means we lean our weight over our front leg causing excessive load at the knee. You also see runners start to "sink down" and look like they are about to sit down as they are not able to propel themselves upwards. The Quadriceps get caught up in having to "pull" the body over the foot taking the entirety of the load while the foot is in contact with the ground.

My favourite ways to cue technique change are:
* Run Tall, imagine someone is pulling you up by your hair
* "Push" the ground away from you, this engages the glutes and shifts the hips forwards

Try these tips out and if it is not working or you then you may need to get help from a professional to look deeper into the problem.