I can’t knock the benefits of treadmill running, especially when the weather and natural elements aren’t so forgiving. I also can’t deny the rejuvenating primal surge you feel zooming on a tree-canopied trail in the great outdoors. When the weather allows for exercise outside, the uneven, natural terrain of many running trails makes it more challenging and increases the risk of injury. Trail running hasn’t been as widely studied as road running. Researchers have explored the habits and health of a large sample of trail runners, with interesting results.
The study sheds light on how certain factors influence performance and the risk of injury. It turns out, being heavier, doing less interval training, and getting less sleep are just some of the factors that could really heighten your risk of an injury. When it comes to running faster on the trail, sleep and sufficient training could really make a difference.
The research
In a study published in the International Journal of the Care of the Injured, researchers distributed an anonymous questionnaire via social networks and the MSOChrono® mailing list between May 2019 and May 2020. The study involved 697 trail runners who completed a detailed survey on their health, lifestyle, and training. The researchers used specific methods to evaluate the effect of certain variables on performance and injury probability — the likelihood or chance of an injury happening over time.
What factors increase the risk of an injury?
The results revealed that the following factors increased the risk of an injury for trail runners:
- Having more body weight.
- Doing less interval training.
- Having a lower weekly training volume or yearly elevation gain.
- Not incorporating regular passive recovery techniques like stretching or rest days.
- Not sleeping as much.
The number of previous injuries didn’t affect the risk of current injury.
What factors increase trail running performance?
Trail running performance increased with the following:
- More training.
- Better passive recovery, like massage, stretching, and rest days.
- More sleep.
Too much training can backfire: The upper limit
The study results also showed that there could be an upper limit where some of these variables go from being beneficial to detrimental, such as overtraining. There’s a sweet spot where you’re training just the right amount to continue to boost performance and protect against injury. The researchers pointed out that more research is needed to determine this threshold.
Longer legs and longer strides
Interestingly, performance decreased with older age, higher weight, and taller height. The taller height result might throw many people for a loop because we often think those who are taller with longer legs have a running advantage. This study says otherwise, and highlights that even though longer legs can mean longer strides that cover more ground, that advantage is often counteracted by having increased body mass, more challenging acceleration, and more demand on the joints. Other factors like training, technique, sleep, and recovery are more important for speed, and elite runners have varying heights.