Improving The Running Experience

2312 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Genetics and athletes

Runners are always looking for ways to become faster. An easy way to drop tremendous time and make the entire running experience easier is to improve running form. Culture has a great impact on running form; from African to Mexican tribal runners, to commercialization of strange alternatives to mainstream footwear, culture impacts every one of us. The lower body plays an obvious role in running, with emphasis on the calves, quadriceps and hamstrings. The upper body plays a key role in running as well, although its purpose is not always agreed upon. Together, these three areas come together to make or break every runner’s form.

Culture has a great impact on running form. Sometimes the effects are positive such is the case in Africa and Mexico, however sometimes these cultural innovations are just marketing gimmicks with no significant contribution to the world of running (Wings n. pag.).

African athletes run differently than Western and European athletes. Some of this is due to the fact that African runners have a greater red blood cell count due to regular training at high altitude, but there is also overwhelming evidence of genetic superiority in explosive sports in West African athletes. West African sprinters had significantly higher percentages of fast twitch, or white, muscle fibers. According to Chris Lyons from Endless Running Potential, West African people have a perfect running build with narrow hips yet powerful thighs. They also have muscle fiber alignment that supports rapid contraction, allowing a fast cadence as well as a lengthy stride. A study by the University of Glasgow and the University of West Indies analyzed genetic data and found that 70 percent of West Africans, particularly the kind found in Jamaica, hav...

... middle of paper ...

..." Livestrong. Livestrong, 31 May 2011. Web. 4 Dec 2011.

Lyons, Chris, ed. "African Running Phenomenon." Endless Running Potential. Personal Evolution, n.d. Web. 25 Nov 2011.

McDougall, Christopher. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. First Edition. New York: Random House Digital, Inc., 2009. Print.

Morris, Rick. "Running Form for Distance Runners." Running Planet. Running Planet, 2011. Web. 26 Nov 2011.

"Quads and IT Band." Unlock Your Body Anatomy. Trigger Point Performance Therapy, 2011. Web. 27 Nov 2011.

Romanov, Nicholas. "Quad Muscles in Running." Training With Dr. Romanov. Pose Tech, 29 Sep 2009. Web. 25 Nov 2011.

"Tarahumara." Berardi, D., perf. Weird or What. Discovery Channel: Television.

Wings, Justin. "Top 10 Most Gimmicky Shoes." Birthday Shoes. Birthday Shoes, 22 Jan 2010. Web. 9 Dec 2011.

Show More
Related

  • Analyzing The Story 'Running For His Life' By Michael Hall

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    They race against themselves: to conquer their wills, to transcend their weaknesses, to beat back their nightmares" (603). This quotation shows that running is not always competition, but it helps runners overcome their

    Read More

  • Racial Domination, Racial Progress By Matthew Desmond And Mustafa Emirbayer

    1425 Words  | 3 Pages

    To start off my interpretation analysis of the first two chapters in their book, I will begin by stating a classification I have personally received. In the beginning pages of chapter number one, the authors go on in explaining the misclassification of how the skin color, physical attributes, or origin of a person decide how good they are in physical activity; being Latino, most specifically coming from a Dominican background, people always assumed I was or had to be good in Baseball. This classification always bothered me; one, simply because I hate baseball, to me personally is one of the most boring sports in the planet, and second because my strong physical ability still to this point in life is running. Throughout my High School years, people always seemed shocked when they found out I belonged to the track team instead of the baseball team. There was one occasion, where someone said I was a disgrace to the Dominican Republic, simply because I was not good at striking a ball with a baseball bat. As I reflect on this idea and personal experience, I have found this to be one of the strongest points in chapter one of “Racial Domination, Racial Progress: The Sociology of Race in America”. This is due to in part, because perhaps I can relate to it personally, and because in the world of sports is one of the most frequent things commentators will rely on to explain a team’s or individual success. Apart from the point of sports and physical attributes, the authors also go on in elaborating how this belief of how a person looks, has resulted in dangerous practices in the medical field. This is particularly shocking to

    Read More

  • Discuss the argument that the current pre-dominance of black athletes

    1253 Words  | 3 Pages

    The best 200 times for the 100m sprints, which are all under 10 seconds are all currently held by black athletes, and in addition sprinter of West African decent have filled all eight lanes at the last four Olympics. There is much preprandial musing on why it is that so many of the worlds best runners are black.

    Read More

  • Kinesiology Tape Case Study

    2070 Words  | 5 Pages

    Oatis C. (2009) Kinesiology: The Mechanics & Pathomechanics of Human Movement (Second ed.). Glenside, Pennsylvania: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

    Read More

  • More than a Baseball Player: Jackie Robinson

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    Walton, John C. The Changing Status of the Black Athlete in 20th Century United States. 1996. 21 April 2014 .

    Read More

  • The Historiography of Race and Discrimination in Baseball and Sports

    3242 Words  | 7 Pages

    Hoberman, John M. 1997. Darwin's athletes: how sport has damaged Black America and preserved the myth of race. Boston, Mass: Houghton Mifflin Co

    Read More

  • How to Be a Successfull Cross Country Runner

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    Cross country is not a hard sport, contrary to popular belief. People often think that you have to be born with the stamina needed for running four or five miles at a time. There are so many different things people think is necessary, like running sprints, heavy miles or lifting weights and building strength, but in reality these things are minor. Although being physically fit is idealistic, it is not the most important thing needed to be successful because having a well-balanced, nutritious diet, pacing yourself and setting a strategy, and having the right positive attitude can put you in the shape to be a successful cross country runner.

    Read More

  • Run Like The Wind Essay

    2200 Words  | 5 Pages

    In East Africa, there is an area know as the Great Rift Valley. It is in this Great Rift Valley, where the world’s most dominant long distance runners come from, Kenya. In the past three decades, runners from Kenya have simply dominated the sport of long distance running in all facets including cross-country, track, and the marathon. In the world rankings for marathon running, Kenyans hold 8 of the top 10 spots for the men and 6 of the top ten spots in women’s rankings. (Entine, Par. 2) But how can one country be so overpowering in a sport that anyone can participate in? There are a number of factors that all work together to make Kenyan runners the best of the best. Rigorous training regimens, the physical geography of Kenya, country and world support of the athletes, genetics and early participation of children are all factors in the study of why Kenyan runners are by far the best long distance runners in the world. To start off, you must look at the physical geography in which the Kenyans train.

    Read More

  • The Tarahumara People and Running

    3191 Words  | 7 Pages

    For the people to whom running is a lifestyle, ultra marathon running seems an old phenomenon, one that has been a part of daily life since its beginnings. Running more than twenty-six miles a day seems a menial task to a Tarahumara, a daily chore, while to the Americans running next to them it is an all consu ming feat. These people, known world wide as "the running indians" have recently made their appearance in the ultra world and are showing everyone how easy running really is for them. As they breeze by the likes of Ann Trason and many respectable others, the questions mount. Who are they and how do they run so fast?

    Read More

  • Muscle Contraction Essay

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    [2] Zelick, R. 2014. Muscle Lab Exercise. Bi253 Lab Manual. Portland State University, OR, pp. 1-5

    Read More

  • An Exercise Many Love to Hate: The Burpee

    1741 Words  | 4 Pages

    Thibodeau, G., & Patton, K. (1993). Chapter ten: Anatomy of the muscular system. In Anatomy and physiology (1st ed., p. 252). St Louis: MO: Mosby.

    Read More

  • Biomechanical Analysis Of The Squatting Position Essay

    1412 Words  | 3 Pages

    The purpose of the squat is to train the muscles around the knees and hip joints, as well as to develop strength in the lower back, for execution of basic skills required in many sporting events and activities of daily living. Because a strong and stable knee is extremely important to an athlete or patient’s success, an understanding of knee biomechanics while performing the squat is helpful to therapists, trainers, and athletes alike (11). Because most activities of daily living require the coordinated contraction of several muscle groups at once, and squatting (a multi-joint movement) is one of the few strength training exercises that is able to effectively recruit multiple muscle groups in a single movement, squats are considered one of the most functional and efficient weight-bearing exercises whether an individual’s goals are sport specific or are for an increased quality of life

    Read More

  • Coaching Track

    1131 Words  | 3 Pages

    Of the more than twenty million Americans who are running today, most who start do so for the wrong reasons, with the wrong attitude, and tend to lose interest after a few weeks or months. Many quit. This is usually because they become concerned with superficial goals such as time and distance and never discover the more profound mental benefits that running offers. (Lilliefors 15)

    Read More

  • History of Women in Sports

    1518 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hult, J. S. (1994). The story of women's athletics: Manipulating a dream 1890-1985. In D. M. Costa & S. R. Gurthrie (Eds.), Women and sport: Interdisciplinary perspectives (pp. 83-106). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Track And Field

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    Did you know that over two hundred countries participate in noteable track competitions like the Olympics or other world championships? Track is a sport where participants compete in races and field events with a team. Team members can engage in a variety of different events including the mile run, 800 meter, 400 meter, 200 meter dash, 100 meter dash, hurdle races, etc. Field events include shot put, discus, long jump, and high jump. The coaches will provide many exercises, warm-ups, and running activities in practice as well. There is a lot of skills and activity involved in track which can

    Read More

More about Improving The Running Experience

Open Document