Runners

046 RUNNERSWORLD.CO.UK JULY 2018then took some mice from each groupand created a stressful environmentby restraining them for three days.Analysis of the results revealed thatthe stressed non-running mice faredthe worst – their brain cells were notcommunicating, potentially leadingto a breakdown of memories. Thesedentary mice who had not beenstressed were next, followed bythe stressed runners. The best-performing group were the micewho had run and were kept awayfrom the stressful environments;their brain cell communication and,therefore, memory-retention abilitiesshowed signs of improvement.``````PRESCRIPTION ‘Fartlek training hasbeen shown to stimulate the nervoussystem and the brain, because it’sa more creative way to train,’ saysendurance coach Tom Craggs(runningwithus.com). A Swedish wordmeaning ‘speedplay’, fartlek sessionsare like interval training, except theintervals are random and you choosethem on the hoof. For example, youmight decide to sprint to the nextlamppost, then run at an efort of iveout of 10 for two minutes, followed bytempo pace for a quarter of a mile.‘Variety is the key,’ says Craggs.‘Do your version of a medium-lengthrun (but it should last no more thanan hour) once a week, breaking itup into spontaneous segments of30 seconds to two minutes at diferentpaces and speeds. This will make youconcentrate more and get yoursynapses iring.’Run to...clean your gutIn a recent study, researchers at theUniversity of Illinois, US, isolatedthe ways in which exercise – versusdiet or taking antibiotics – altersthe microbiome, the network ofbacteria in our guts. The studyrevealed that after a few weeks ofregular cardiovascular exercise,many subjects’ microbes changed inways that could improve their health.The subjects, a mix of men andwomen, varying from lean to obese,were asked to run or cycle for 30-60minutes, three times per week, forsix weeks. However, they made nofurther changes to their lifestylesor diets. Scientists compared eachsubject’s microbiome before andafter the programme. In mostparticipants there was an increase inmicrobes involved in the production``````of short-chain fatty acids, which arebelieved to help reduce inf lammationthroughout the body. They can alsohelp fight insulin resistance, whichcan lead to diabetes.``````PRESCRIPTION If regular running isthe key to a cleaner gut, then ensurethe bulk of your training is done at alow intensity to limit your chances ofinjury, says Craggs. ‘It’s important tolearn to run at a conversational paceinstead of always beasting yourself,’he says. ‘If you train by heart rate,this means 60-70 per cent of yourmaximum heart rate. Between 50 and80 per cent of your weekly mileageshould be done at this intensity – it’sthe backbone of your training.’``````Run to...increase yourself-control``````Good news for the greedy: the journalBehavior Modification recentlypublished a study from the Universityof Kansas, US, looking at howtraining for a 5K affected the abilityto exercise self-control overbehaviours such as binge eating.Before training began, the subjectswere given a delay-discountingquestionnaire – a process scientistsuse to assess a person’s ability to putoff immediate pleasures for greaterfuture pleasures. For example, wouldyou choose one indulgent biscuit nowif you could instead have threenormal ones tomorrow?``````I run to...offload stressLisa Thompson, 48,Birmingham``````‘I am the chief executiveof Birmingham andSolihull Rape & SexualViolence Project (RSVP).With a sometimesoverwhelmingworkload, it’s importantthat we have waysof maintaining ouremotional well-being.For me, running is thebest way to releasesecondary trauma [theeffects of hearing aboutother people’s traumaticexperiences], offloadingboth physical andmental stress. I don’tlisten to music, I letrunning nurture me as Itune into nature or useit as an opportunity toconnect with others.’