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Running is a popular sport for children in the United States. However, review of available literature on health effects and safety recommendations for youth running has not been previously conducted. Unique factors for injury include periods of growth during puberty and potential for growth plate injury. Youth runners may benefit from activities that incorporate high-impact loading and multidirectional movement for optimal bone maturation, exercises to strengthen tendons and muscles, and strategies aimed at improving running biomechanics to reduce risk of injury. In addition, addressing lifestyle factors, including nutrition and sleep is essential for a runner's general health. Similar to other sports, sports specialization should not be encouraged in youth runners. Reducing running-related injury in growing children and assessing readiness for running should be based on a combination of physical, emotional, psychological, social, and cognitive factors. Youth runners require individualized training and competition to safely participate in the sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Measures of HR variability (HRV) have shown potential to be of use in training prescription. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using HRV in endurance training prescription. Methods: Forty recreational endurance runners were divided into the HRV-guided experimental training group (EXP) and traditional predefined training group (TRAD). After a 4-wk preparation training period, TRAD trained according to a predefined training program including two to three moderate- (MOD) and high-intensity training (HIT) sessions per week during an 8-wk intensive training period. The timing of MOD and HIT sessions in EXP was based on HRV, measured every morning. The MOD/HIT session was programmed if HRV was within an individually determined smallest worthwhile change. Otherwise, low-intensity training was performed. Maximal oxygen consumption (...O2max) and 3000-m running performance (RS3000m) were measured before and after both training periods. Results: The number of MOD and HIT sessions was significantly lower (P = 0.021, effect size = 0.98) in EXP (13.2 ± 6.0 sessions) compared with TRAD (17.7 ± 2.5 sessions). No other differences in training were found between the groups. RS3000m improved in EXP (2.1% ± 2.0%, P = 0.004) but not in TRAD (1.1% ± 2.7%, P = 0.118) during the intensive training period. A small between-group difference (effect size = 0.42) was found in the change in RS3000m. ...O2max improved in both groups (EXP: 3.7% ± 4.6%, P = 0.027; TRAD: 5.0% ± 5.2%, P = 0.002). Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest the potential of resting HRV to prescribe endurance training by individualizing the timing of vigorous training sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on research conducted to evaluate the effect two different long-sprint training regimens with either short recovery or long recovery between running sets had on sprint performance. Researchers evaluated 14 sprinters. They found that sprint training with longer recovery induced higher metabolic disturbances, that both sprint training regimens led to improvements in 300-meter performance and that neither led to improvements in 50 or 100 meter sprints.

The article discusses the physiological strain from hypoxic high-intensity interval training (HHIT) in highly trained runners. Details on tests conducted to young runners in hypoxic condition which include the changes in neutrophils, blood lactate, and erythropoietin are explored. An overview of the high-intensity interval training (HIT) as the component for endurance training program for runners is also provided.

The article presents the results of a study which investigated the relationship between muscular strength endurance and changes in running economy induced by fatigue in male runners. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the experimental protocol, which involved an isokinetic dynamometer.

The article focuses on a study concerning the effect of equated interval and continuous running programs on jump capacity and endurance performance. It states that 22 physically active men were distributed randomly into a continuous training group (CTG), interval training group (ITG), and control group. It mentions that a data analysis of results revealed significant and similar improvements for both CTG and ITG. It comments on the results of an analysis of variance for maximal aerobic speed.

The article presents the results of a study which compared the ways in which training at either high or low intensity affected aerobic capacity in male middle-distance runners. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the experimental protocol. It found that training with intensity near the lactate threshold produced better results.

The article presents the results of a study which compared the usefulness of a 12-minute run and a multistage shuttle run (MSR) as exercise tests of aerobic capacity and physical fitness. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the experimental protocol. It was found that the MSR was somewhat more reliable.

The article presents the results of a study which investigated the relationship between running economy and peak forces generated by runners. An inverse relationship was found to exist between the two factors. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the experimental protocol.

The article presents the results of a study which investigated the correlation between physiological variables and ratings of perceived exertion in women during aquatic aerobic exercise. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the experimental protocol, which involved stationary running in water performed at various cadences.

The article presents the results of a study which compared the effects of deep-water running either barefoot or in aquatic training shoes, in terms of exercise intensity. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the experimental protocol. Deep-water running with shoes was found to be more difficult, and more similar to running on land.

The article presents a study which examined the effects of acute and chronic inspiratory muscle loading on an exercise program designed to increase tolerance towards high-intensity running. Information on the exercise intervals of test subjects is presented. Results suggest that chronic and acute inspiratory muscle loading can be beneficial as a training strategy to increase tolerance to high-intensity running.

The article presents the results of a study which investigated the impact of stretching exercises on the performance of sprinters. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the experimental protocol. It was found that static stretching exercises slowed performance during the first 40 meters of a sprint.

The article presents the results of a study which investigated the impact of stretching on running endurance. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the experimental protocol. It was found that static stretching exercises increased the energy cost of running and impaired performance.

The article presents the results of a study which investigated the relationship between exercise in cold air and bronchial spasms in healthy athletes. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the experimental protocol. Pulmonary function tests revealed no significant differences between warm or cold air in terms of inducing acute bronchial spasms in runners.

The article presents the results of a study which investigated the impact of weight training on basketball player performance. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the experimental protocol, which involved half squats in a Smith machine. It was found that strength training produced improved running and jumping ability.

The article presents the results of a study which investigated the use of a field test to quickly determine the approximate endurance capacity of untrained runners. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the testing protocol, which was shown to produce useful results with simple and noninvasive methods.

The article reports on research conducted to investigate the relationship between selected anthropometric and training variables and the personal best times of nonprofessional runners during a marathon. Researchers evaluated 66 male runners. They found that high training and a fast time in a marathon were the most important anthropometric variables for predicting total race time in a marathon.

The article presents a study which quantifies the reproducibility of responses to live high/train low (LHTL) altitude exposure in the same group of athletes. It explains that many athletes use altitude training to induce physiological adaptations similar to adaptations during improved performance. Subjects include 16 highly trained male and female middle-distance and distance runners who either underwent 2-3 week blocks of simulated LHTL altitude exposure or resided near sea-level as the control group. It reveals that there was a large individual variation in the change of both physiological and performance measures and concludes that competitive performance is not only dependent on physiological adaptations but on complex interactions between fitness, fatigue and training status.

The article reports on research conducted to test if a simplified impulse-response (IR) model would correlate with competition performances in an elite middle- distance runner over a period of 7 years. Researchers evaluated data from a runner's log. They found that output from their simplified IR modeling approach correlates with performance in at least one elite athlete but concluded that further studies are necessary to determine the generalizability of their results.

The article reports on research conducted to determine whether near-infrared spectroscopy could be used to determine maximal steady state exercise intensity. Researchers evaluated 16 distance runners and triathletes. They found that the near-infrared spectroscopy determination of oxygen saturation is a noninvasive technique that is comparable with blood lactate concentration in determining maximal steady state intensity and is therefore appropriate for use in determining exercise training.

The article reports on the results of research on the influence towing force magnitude had on the kinematics of supramaximal sprinting. Researchers evaluated ten high school and college-age track and field athletes who ran 60 meter sprints under five different conditions. They found that that towing force magnitude did not influence the kinematics of supramaximal running and that potentially negative training effects may arise from towing individuals with a force in excess of 3.8% body weight.

The article reports on the results of research which was conducted in an effort to compare the effects two preconditioning activities; whole body vibration and power cleanse, had on the sprint performance of 14 male college track athletes. Researchers found that there were no differences between the effects of the two preconditioning activities and that neither of the activities was useful in improving sprinting performance.

The article presents the results of a study which investigated the correlations between heart rate recovery (HRR) and basal heart rate (BHR) in endurance runners. Details of the experimental protocol are provided, and a statistical analysis of the results is presented. It was found that BHR was correlated with maximal aerobic speed.

The article presents the results of a study which investigated the effect of high-intensity interval training on cholesterol. Details of the experimental protocol, which involved 800-meter runs with a one-to-one work-to-rest ratio, are presented. It was found that this exercise regime produced beneficial effects on high-density lipoproteins in men.

The article presents the results of a study which compared the stride and velocity measurements of elite runners with those of less successful athletes in 400-meter races. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the experimental protocol, which involved detailed video analysis of factors such as stride length and step frequency. A discussion of the significant differences between the subject groups is presented.

The article presents the results of a study which compared the effects of cycling, running and resistance training on bone mineral density (BMD) in men. Details of the experimental protocol are presented, which involved fasting serum samples and dual x-ray absorptiometry. The high impact of running and the increased lean body mass derived from resistance training were clearly beneficial for increasing BMD, whereas cycling was less effective.

The article discusses the study on transferability of running and cycling training zones in triathletes. It aims to determine whether physiological measurements of training could be applied to prescribing heart rate (HR) zone training. It is cited that monitoring wattage during steady-state exercise is more appropriate than monitoring HR.

The article presents a systematic review of the effects of resistance training on the performance of highly trained endurance distance runners. Studies reviewed examined the use of explosive resistance training and heavy weight resistance training. Results indicate that resistance training has a positive effect on endurance running performance.

The article presents the results of a study which compared the abdominal muscles of male runners, female gymnasts, and untrained control groups of each gender. Details of the experimental protocol are provided. The various differences which were measured are analyzed in terms of gender, neuromuscular efficiency and sport-specific training.

The article discusses a study on the comparison between incline and level training sessions used in 400 meter-runners elite long sprint running. It includes a study of stride kinematics and muscular activity measurements of nine runners from international and French national level. The results showed that incline ground induces a decrease in running velocity as compared to level ground. The author mentions that lower limbs were more flexed during incline ground running as indicated in the kinematics analysis.

The article presents a study which investigates the effect of maximal strength training on running economy (RE) at 70 percent of maximal oxygen consumption and time to exhaustion maximal aerobic speed (MAS). It notes that the study also examines the responses in one repetition (1RM) and rate of force development (RFD) in half-squats, maximal oxygen consumption, RE, and time to exhaustion of 17 well-trained runners. The runners were divided into two groups, the intervention group and the control group, with each group performing different sets of training regiments. Results shows that the maximal strength training for 8 weeks improved RE and increased time to exhaustion at MAS among well-trained, long-distance runners, without change in maximal oxygen uptake or body weight..

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of 2 training programs differing in the relative contribution of training volume, clearly below vs. within the lactate threshold/maximal lactate steady state region on performance in endurance runners. Twelve subelite endurance runners (who are specialists in track events, mostly the 5,000-m race usually held during spring-summer months and who also participate in cross-country races [9-12 km] during fall and winter months) were randomly assigned to a training program emphasizing low-intensity (subthreshold) (Z1) or moderately high-intensity (between thresholds) (Z2) training intensities. At the start of the study, the subjects performed a maximal exercise test to determine ventilatory (VT) and respiratory compensation thresholds (RCT), which allowed training to be controlled based on heart rate during each training session over a 5-month training period. Subjects performed a simulated 10.4-km cross-country race before and after the training period. Training was quantified based on the cumulative time spent in 3 intensity zones: zone 1 (low intensity; VT), zone 2 (moderate intensity; between VT and RCT), and zone 3 (high intensity; RCT). The contribution of total training time spent in zones 1 and 2 was controlled to have relatively more low-intensity training in Z1 (80.5 ± 1.8% and 11.8 ± 2.0%, respectively) than in Z2 (66.8 ± 1.1% and 24.7 ± 1.5%, respectively), whereas the contribution of high-intensity (zone 3) training was similar (8.3 ± 0.7% [Z1] and 8.5 ± 1.0% [Z2]). The magnitude of the improvement in running performance was significantly greater (p = 0.03) in Z1 (-157 ± 13 seconds) than in Z2 (-121.5 ± 7.1 seconds). These results provide experimental evidence supporting the value of a relatively large percentage of low-intensity training over a long period (-5 months), provided that the contribution of high-intensity training remains sufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the mental preparations of the athletes participating in the triathlon sports competitions. It informs about the need of appropriate mental planning that should be carried out during training for cycling, swimming and running. It also informs about the need of nutrition, imaging and anticipation of the race for avoiding of anxiousness.

The article offers pain rules and regulations to guide running participation such as medical care for musculoskletal pain and injury, determination of additional rest and clinical work-up for injuries.