July 10, 2005
Arches and Running Injuries
Runners with high arches are at increased risk for
suffering stress fractures, small cracks in the bones of their feet
and lower legs; and those with low arches are at increased risk
for knee cap pain (Physician and Sportsmedicine, January,
2005). When you run at six miles per hour, your foot hits the
ground with a force greater than three times body weight. The
faster you run, the harder your heel strikes the ground. This force
can break bones, damage joints and tear muscles. The human
body is designed so you never land flatfooted when you run. You
land on the outside bottom of your heal and roll inward toward
the big toe. This helps to distribute the force of your foot strike
throughout your foot and leg and protect you from injury. The
further you roll inward, the greater the protection against this
force. However, when you roll in too much, your lower leg twists
inward excessively, causing your kneecap to rub against the long
femur bone behind it and cause pain. This is called Runner’s
Knee.
If you have pain behind the knee cap during running or
walking, ask your podiatrist to look at your feet. If your arches
appear to be flat, you usually will have a normal arch, but you roll
inward so far that your arch touches the ground. Your treatment
is to place special inserts, called orthotics, in your running shoes
and to do special exercise that strengthen your vastus medialis
muscle that pulls your knee cap inward.
If you develop pain in the medial side of your lower leg or
your feet, your podiatrist will probably order a bone scan to check
for stress fractures, small cracks in the bones of your feet. If you
have stress fractures and high arched feet, you will need
specially padded running shoes and have to learn to try to
hit the ground with less force when you run.
*****************************************
More on High Fructose Corn Syrup
I’ve reported for several years that this common
ingredient is contributing to the obesity epidemic and other
nutritional problems. My comments about fructose in fruit
brought a very interesting response from one reader, too long to
reproduce here but WELL WORTH reading. Laszlo Pentek is a
professional beekeeper with strong views about HFCS and some
fascinating information about honey as well. I’ve posted it at:
http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/honey.html
***************************************************
Dear Dr. Mirkin: Please help me convince my sister that she
should wear a bicycle helmet, even though it messes up her hair!
Your brain is enclosed in a sac of fluid. When you hit
your head, your brain bounces around and is damaged as it
bangs against the sides of your skull. With every peck, a
woodpecker bangs its head harder than you would if you hit your
head in a bicycle accident. But the woodpecker’s brain is
protected because its skull allows no movement of its brain
inside. A helmet protects your head like a woodpecker’s skull.
The helmet should fit tightly around your head and have a strong
chin strap that allows no movement. If you can move your
helmet when it is fastened, it doesn’t fit.
***************************************************
Dear Dr. Mirkin: I just got a stationary bicycle. Will riding for 30
minutes every day be enough to make me fit?
Even the best athletes don’t take the same workouts
every day. To avoid injuries and get the most out of your
exercise program, take a hard workout on one day and several
easy ones on the days afterward. When you’re first starting out,
follow the “background before peaking” rule: pedal at an easy
pace until your legs fell heavy or hurt and then stop, even if you
can only pedal for a few minutes. Build up gradually, and when
you can ride for 30 minutes every other day for several weeks,
you are ready to start training. You should probably incorporate
into your program one fast, intense day and one longer day each
week. The rest of the time, just pedal at a very easy pace as
long as you feel comfortable, or take the day off.
You can use Wednesday as your speed day. Warm up
for five to ten minutes by pedaling slowly. Then set the
resistance on the pedals so you can pedal at around 90 to 100
revolutions per minute comfortably. Pedal at that rate for 30
seconds, followed by pedaling for 30 seconds very slowly, barely
moving your pedals. Then pedal fast again for 30 seconds.
Alternate the slow and fast 30-second intervals until your legs
feel heavy or hurt, and then stop. As these workouts get easier,
increase the resistance. On Sunday, pedal for a longer session
of an hour or more to build your endurance. On the other days,
pedal slowly and get off the bike when you feel any discomfort.
***************************************************
Recipe of the Week
Celebrate the arrival of local vine-ripened tomatoes!
Tomatoes with Pepper Salsa
Recipe List