Treadmill Running

Treadmill Running

A question often asked in our Kelowna physiotherapy clinic, “Is running on the treadmill a good thing or a bad thing?” More Recently Olympic middle distance runner Malindi Elmore (@canadianrunner.ca) asked this very same question so this has become both the blog of the week and her answer rolled into one.                   

The short answer is yes and no. Why?  Well the good things about running on the treadmill are that it is often conveniently in an athlete’s home and is great when the weather is nasty and the roads and trails are covered in snow and ice. If the athlete is using the treadmill run for a recovery run or is rehabbing an injury there is less physiological and mechanical stress on certain joints, ligaments and tendons as the treadmill surface is smooth and cushioned reducing the forces on joints. There is also no wind resistance to physiologically challenge the athlete and no terrain changes to test injured ligaments and joints. The treadmill is also a great place for some speed work as you are able to run faster on the treadmill than outdoors due to the help from the belt and the reduced drag of wind. If none of the above reasons are why you are on the treadmill and you want to simulate the physiological challenge of outdoor running then elevate the treadmill by 1%.

However, some of the not so great things about training on a treadmill are that your feet are moved backwards by the running belt which creates a less desirable forward lean by the upper body. The belt moving under your center of mass requires a complex neuromuscular movement pattern between your feet and your body and often leads to a shuffle gait pattern leading to more stress on your knees, hips and lower back.

Additionally biomechanically the belt the gait pattern cycle has a much faster heel to toe transition with a consequence that there is less opportunity for the foot to naturally pronate. For the excessive pronator this is a good thing and the impact forces are less; however reduced pronation means that there is more midfoot impact which results in increased tightening of the calf muscles (gastrocs and soleus) and an increased risk of achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis. Finally running on the treadmill requires less of the pulling motion required when running outdoors and often leads to the hamstrings and gluteus muscles being undertrained.

So the conclusion is that the treadmill is great for some speed work sessions, some recovery runs,  if you are in the finals stages of rehabilitation of an injury or simply if you have no choice as the weather is that nasty but otherwise gear up and go run outside.

A question often asked in our Kelowna physiotherapy clinic, “Is running on the treadmill a good thing or a bad thing?” More Recently Olympic middle distance runner Malindi Elmore (@canadianrunner.ca) asked this very same question so this has become both the blog of the week and her answer rolled into one.                   

The short answer is yes and no. Why?  Well the good things about running on the treadmill are that it is often conveniently in an athlete’s home and is great when the weather is nasty and the roads and trails are covered in snow and ice. If the athlete is using the treadmill run for a recovery run or is rehabbing an injury there is less physiological and mechanical stress on certain joints, ligaments and tendons as the treadmill surface is smooth and cushioned reducing the forces on joints. There is also no wind resistance to physiologically challenge the athlete and no terrain changes to test injured ligaments and joints. The treadmill is also a great place for some speed work as you are able to run faster on the treadmill than outdoors due to the help from the belt and the reduced drag of wind. If none of the above reasons are why you are on the treadmill and you want to simulate the physiological challenge of outdoor running then elevate the treadmill by 1%.

However, some of the not so great things about training on a treadmill are that your feet are moved backwards by the running belt which creates a less desirable forward lean by the upper body. The belt moving under your center of mass requires a complex neuromuscular movement pattern between your feet and your body and often leads to a shuffle gait pattern leading to more stress on your knees, hips and lower back.

Additionally biomechanically the belt the gait pattern cycle has a much faster heel to toe transition with a consequence that there is less opportunity for the foot to naturally pronate. For the excessive pronator this is a good thing and the impact forces are less; however reduced pronation means that there is more midfoot impact which results in increased tightening of the calf muscles (gastrocs and soleus) and an increased risk of achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis. Finally running on the treadmill requires less of the pulling motion required when running outdoors and often leads to the hamstrings and gluteus muscles being undertrained.

So the conclusion is that the treadmill is great for some speed work sessions, some recovery runs,  if you are in the finals stages of rehabilitation of an injury or simply if you have no choice as the weather is that nasty but otherwise gear up and go run outside.