068 RUNNERSWORLD.CO.UK JUNE 2018
The problem with
quad dependency
Being overly reliant on your quads
creates three big problems. First it
can wreck your knees. Nearly every
study on running injuries ranks
patellafemoral pain in the top three
injuries affecting runners. Your
patella (kneecap) is basically a pulley
for your quad. When you overstride
the torque â mechanical load â on
the knee is greater. The quad has to
work harder creating more shear
across the surface of the patella
which isnât the best thing for the
long-term health of the cartilage
underneath it. Changing your
muscle dominance will reduce
stress on the knee.
Second there are performance
implications for our bias toward the
quads. Your quad has a greater
percentage of fast-twitch fibres.
So for a given running pace your
quads will be working closer to
peak capacity and enter into a
fatigued state â or acidic state â
sooner. When the muscle gets too
acidic the pH level drops and the
muscle canât contract and relax as
well so you end up hitting the wall.
Since the glute has more slow-
twitch fibres it produces smaller
amounts of acidic waste products
and can last longer before building
up a lot of waste. This means you
can maintain a harder pace for a
little longer without falling apart.
Finally your quads simply can't
match the total body control your
glutes are capable of setting in
motion. Your gluteus maximus has
three primary functions all of which
benefit your running:
- It is an incredibly powerful
fatigue-resistant muscle that
drives your hip from the front of
your body to the back. Your quads
do the opposite. - It is also your primary hip
external rotator; in other words
it prevents your knees from
crashing in when you run. - Finally your gluteus maximus
plays a huge role in postural
control; if your glute isn't firing
properly your torso will pitch
forward and cause you to
overstride. Overstriding means
very high loading rates with each
step putting the body under more
stress with every stride.
This stuff matters. See right for
three glute-activating moves from
the 83 exercises in Running Rewired.
I F Y O U R G L U T E I S N â T
FIRING PROPERLY YOUR
TORSO WILL PITCH
FORWARD AND CAUSE
YOU TO OVERSTRIDE