By Tom Miller, Ph.D.

The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (TOSH) is a world-class medical facility that attracts elite athletes from all over the world. The hallway leading to its Institute for Sport Science and Medicine, directed by James Walker, Ph.D., is adorned with autographed photos of “headline” level athletes expressing their gratitude for the services they received at TOSH. But these services are not limited to only the “rich and famous” of the athletic world, TOSH’s doors are open to any of us with athletic injuries or the desire to improve our strength, power, endurance, agility, and/or quickness. I recently had the privilege of sitting down and discussing what is new in sport science with Jim and three of his staff: Nanna Meyer, nutritionist; Steve Swanson, biomechanist; and Andy Subudhi, bio-physiologist. Here’s what I learned:

REHABILITATION
TOSH has one of the largest and probably the best-equipped rehabilitation facilities in the US, if not the world. If you have a sports related injury, you can make an appointment to have a free evaluation by a physical therapist or athletic trainer, who are among the best in the world at what they do. The latest in rehabilitation techniques will be brought to bear on your problems. Again the effectiveness of the center’s treatments is validated by the highly visible successes its elite patients have enjoyed. However, Jim is adamant that ALL clients receive the same attention and care. When athletes come to me for a recommendation of where to go with an injury, “TOSH,” is most often my answer. For more information on injury assessment call 314-4040.

TRAINING
Two years ago I wrote about TOSH’s ground breaking training for speed and agility ­ Frappier Acceleration Sports Training (FAST). Briefly, sprint speed is developed by putting runners on a steeply inclined treadmill and conducting extremely quick, short repeats of 30 seconds or less with full recoveries. (Photo 1) Athletes can watch themselves in mirrors while running and being advised by trainers as they make recommended adaptations. The treadmill training enhances both power and biomechanical efficiency. The workout can be digitally recorded and a biomechanical analysis conducted within the workout. (Photo 2) During my last interview, Jim and his staff were just beginning to adapt the Acceleration principles for distance runners.

Now TOSH has a more developed program for distance runners, the keystone of which is what Jim calls, “The Economy (of movement) Phase.” They have discovered that a large percentage of running overuse injuries are related to inefficient running technique. While it “feels” normal because it is what you are “used to,” it may be not only mechanically inefficient but also lead to chronic injuries. The Economy Phase for distance runners is aimed at improving running biomechanics and also utilizes the inclined treadmill. The objective is to have runners implement recommendations of trainers on their posture, arms/leg swings, foot contact, pushoff, and stride length and frequency while running. As runners’ economy of movement improves, level treadmill running is done while focusing on efficient technique. Once “economy” at a reasonably comfortable level is mastered, runners then increase the time/distance/speed as the enhancement of aerobic power becomes another objective. However, runners are cautioned to not sacrifice their technique for power, but rather to learn to focus their energies through their technique to optimize their racing performances. With efficient technique you reduce injuries, train more consistently and respond to progressive training more effectively. Learn to run with a balanced forward posture, compact armswing, and lightning quick footstrike under a slightly bending knee. For more information on the Acceleration Program call 314-2996.

NUTRITION
To maximize the training effect of your exercise, you need to practice pre/during/post activity nutrition. The most common nutritional mistake of endurance athletes is postponing caloric intake after hard/long workouts. There is a “window of absorption” of not more than an hour and preferably within a half hour after exercise, during which carbohydrate and protein metabolism is enhanced allowing the muscles to “reload” energy and to initiate protein synthesis to rebuild and strengthen stressed muscles. After your longer runs, speed workouts, or races, you will enhance the training effect by drinking a sports drink, eating some carbos and protein. There are sports drink designed for before, during, and after workout replacement. The point here is that nutrition MUST be part of your training plan, along with rest/sleep, so that your training can be absorbed. You don’t get stronger and faster while exercising, but between exercise bouts.

Balancing strength and power with endurance training is another essential element of your training program because the more endurance training you do, the more speed you will lose. This principle is much more important to older athletes who have competed for years. Age also takes its toll on natural strength ­ the basis of speed. We slow down as we grow older because of the natural degradation of muscle strength. But our endurance is easily sustained. To offset “nature,” older endurance athletes need to seriously get involved in strength training. If you have never lifted weights, get a certified trainer to guide your development. Not only will increased strength result in faster running, but also fewer injuries and increased agility. The easy solution is to contact TOSH for guidance.

APPLICATION
If you have access to a treadmill, you can implement the “economy” type training described in this article. Hop on and warmup until in a light sweat. Then incline the treadmill a couple degrees and speed it up so you have to concentrate on what you are doing. Now experiment with your posture, armswing, footstrike, and breathing (focus on rhythmic exhales). When it “gets easier,” speed it up a little and repeat the process. For the next couple weeks, whenever you note that your concentration is wandering during a run, bring it back to running economically and soon you will have refined your running “style” into efficient technique. Gotta run, Tom.

Dr. Tom’s doctorate is in Exercise and Sports Science with an emphasis on Performance Psychology. He teaches at the Utah campuses of the University of Phoenix. Check out his web page and book, PROGRAMMED TO RUN, published by Human Kinetics, at www.scooterbikerun.com or contact him at (801) 581-9296 or tommiller@sisna.com.

Copyright 2003 Sports Guide. All rights reserved.