Being a runner is fun and empowering. Injuries can be a real bummer, and can derail you from your goals. There are considerations women can use to evaluate their health and performance, minimize injury risk, and set the stage for health in the long run.
Female athletes’ bodies are very strong. But with too much training and too little recovery, bodies break down.
Education is power. Knowing how to reduce injury risk provides a way to help yourself stay healthy and able to train consistently.
Behaviors that increase risk of injury:
Training too much: Training is hard work, but it shouldn’t make you feel fatigued all the time, run down, irritable, overly sore, sleepless or injured. The effects of overtraining are sneaky and hard to recognize when you’re in the middle of it. Rushing back from an injury, jumping into a difficult training plan, or just overestimating how much mileage you can handle are all reasons over-training can creep in.
Recovering too little: Runners are awesome at working hard, but not always as good at relaxing and letting muscles recover. Making time for your body to recover is essential for long-term health and success. The most important recovery technique is getting proper sleep.
Going into “debt”: Much like spending money, if you go too far into energy “debt” it can be hard to get out. You can’t burn energy you don’t have. Runners have high energy needs from running and performing daily activities. If you think eating less will make you faster, think again. Under-fueling leads to what’s called “low energy availability” meaning your body isn’t getting enough fuel to support the stress of training. This leads to a dangerous condition called Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-s). RED-s is impaired functioning of all the bodily systems that make you a healthy person and a strong athlete. As an energy deficit grows larger, many important aspects of health and performance get worse, like muscular strength, concentration, coordination, and bone health. RED-s significantly increases your risk of injury because your body starts breaking down nutrient reserves, like bones, to keep you alive.
Your period is important. Period.
Your period is a barometer for your health. Although it can be common for athletes to lose their period during training, it is never normal and should not be tolerated. Menstrual cycles play a big part in producing hormones that protect bone cells. If you’re in an energy deficit, your body may compensate by stopping your period, which puts bones at risk for fractures. A healthy period means healthier bones, which are essential for healthy training and, most importantly, a healthy life.
Fast does not equal health
Good performance does not always mean an athlete is healthy. Running fast and performing well is exciting, but it can’t be sustained long-term with an energy deficit. Healthy and fast running is a product of consistent, steady training and self-care. You may see an improvement in performance shortly after increasing mileage, but over-training isn’t a long-term plan. After a while, you’ll start to feel fatigued, sore, burned out and maybe even injured.
Take action:
Be honest with yourself. If you feel tired most of the time and have seen a decrease in performance, acknowledge that something has to change. There can be a lot of pressure (especially from yourself!) to run fast all the time, no matter what. But you have to be healthy to perform your best. Long-term health will give you the best chance at long-term success in sport.
Talk with someone who can help. Tell people you trust about concerns about your health, training, and performance. Healthcare providers, including physical therapists, should take your concerns seriously. Find someone you trust and can connect with honestly.
Support yourself and others. It can be difficult for anyone to know what to do when dealing with an energy deficit, over-training, RED-s, or chronic injuries. Be honest and understanding with yourself and others. These are very common issues among runners, so you’re not alone in the fight. There are real solutions that will make you feel healthy, happy, and fast.
Resources for more info:
www.femaleandmaleathletetriad.org
Information about nutrition, menstrual and reproductive health, education for athletes, coaches, parents.
Dedicated to educating active women and girls, and their support systems, on issues including women’s health.
A space for athletes to share experiences, find resources, increase awareness of eating disorders and RED-S, and empowerment for coaches to better support athletes.
Katie Noble is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a journalist, and a runner. She enjoys empowering and supporting female runners with evidenced-based education.
Dr. Katie Noble, PT, DPT, SCS 