There are a number of widely-held beliefs that have been perpetuated about running. It bodes well for runners to know which ones are false and which ones.
Here are 4 debunked myths about running that you should know about:
1: Eat As Much Carbs Before a Race
Enjoying a heavy carb-ridden meal is not a good idea before running since some people just overdo. When this happen, the excess glycogen is stored as fat and that won’t help those who run either. The only time when carbo-loading (for an entire week) is a good idea is when you are running a marathon. For anything else, a healthy, balanced diet should be enough.
2: Always Stretch Before Running
Even though many runners tend to stretch before running, this doesn’t offer any real benefit. Since running involves moving your legs in one plane, there is no need for the increased range of motion offered by stretching. In fact, stretching can be detrimental to your performance as a runner.
3: Strength Training Is Not Necessary
Just running won’t help improve performance. Strength training is just as vital when it comes to building muscles and joints. This, in turn, will help improve performance while also decrease injury. Apart from this, strength training will also help in a leaner and lighter body composition. Hence, it is recommended that a couple of functional training sessions a week will help improve your performance.
4: Running Barefoot Can Reduce Injuries
Contrary to thought, running barefoot can actually cause more injuries than otherwise. Of course, the idea of running as naturally as possible is appealing but most adults do not run properly. This is why it is important for them to use running shoes instead. Moreover, it isn’t realistic to run barefoot given the surfaces that most people run on too.