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Improving Marathon Performance

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Marathons are on the rise and people are striving to improve their marathon performance. If this is you or you know someone who is into extreme sports, you will love the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

Flying through the book because I couldn’t put it down and talking with a good friend and fellow 100 Year Lifestyle Chiropractor, Dr. Dan Traxler of Connect First Family Chiropractic in Sterling, VA, has inspired me to challenge myself with running longer distances. I recently signed up for the St. George Marathon in October. This being my first marathon, I’ve been constantly researching everything I can about how to improve my performance and decrease my chances of injury. So far, I’ve come up with two things, and I believe they are the most important two things anyone training for a marathon, ultramarathon, iron man, etc. should consider; sleep and chiropractic care.

We all know sleep is important, whether we’re training hard or just doing our normal routine, but I think we fail to realize just how important sleep actually is for athletic performance. Studies have shown an increase in sprinting speed by 9% among basketball players who slept two extra hours each night. Their shooting accuracy also improved.1 Imagine carrying these benefits over to running and how your time will improve! It might be difficult to get an extra two hours of sleep every night while you’re training, but even increasing your sleep the week leading up to the event can boost your race-day performance.

A reduction of time spent sleeping reduces your reaction time, regardless of what sport you play or participate in. Just one night without sleep can reduce reaction times by up to 300%.2 If you’re training for a race and you’re also a student studying hard for finals, a CEO running a company, or a mom just trying to keep up with daily life, make sure you’re getting at least eight hours of sleep each night to keep your reaction times on point.

You might think the strongest predictor of sports injuries would be how many hours you practice, and you’d be in the majority. However, studies have shown that sleep is actually the biggest predictor of injuries.3 Without adequate sleep, your body doesn’t have enough time to regenerate cells needed to heal and protect your body. Without adequate sleep, your reaction times are slower, as previously discussed, so you can’t stop an injury as it’s about to occur. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep to keep you healthy and off the sidelines as you train.

Another benefit of getting enough sleep is improved growth hormone regulation. Growth hormone is vital to sustaining athletic performance as it aids in muscle repair, muscle building, and bone growth. Almost 75% of growth hormone is released during sleep.4 Getting a regular seven to nine hours of sleep each night guarantees the production of growth hormone and your ability to recover so you can keep up with your training schedule.

Sleep is something most people understand when it comes to athletic performance. Something that not many people understand is how chiropractic care can help athletic performance. Chiropractic adjustments balance the body while also enhancing the function of the nervous system, the master control system of the body. The nervous system controls everything; the thoughts we think, our hearts beating, digestion of our food, breathing and muscle contraction. Studies have shown that after a single adjustment, athletes had stronger muscle contractions measured by EMG technology.5 By maintaining a healthy nervous system as a part of a healthy lifestyle, your muscles will be bigger, faster and stronger. Imagine how having faster and stronger muscles will improve your athletic performance!

There you have it. If you’re looking to increase marathon performance, or any other athletic activity, adequate amounts of sleep and chiropractic care are two things you can implement immediately. To find a provider near you, click here. Good luck on your training endeavors!

  1. Mah, C., Mah, K., Kezirian, E., & Dement, W. (2011). The Effects of Sleep Extension on the Athletic Performance of Collegiate Basketball Players. SLEEP, 34(7), 943-950.
  2. 5 Areas Sleep Has The Greatest Impact on Athletic Performance. (2015, September 23). Fatigue Science.
  3. Milewski, M., Skaggs, D., Bishop, G., Ibrahim, D., Wren, T., & Barzdukas, A. (2014). Chronic lack of sleep is associated with increased sports injuries in adolescent athletes. Jouranl of Pediatric Orthopedics, 34(2), 129-133.
  4. Sleep and Human Growth Hormone. (2019, May 8).
  5. Keller, T.S., & Colloca, C.J. (2000). Mechanical force spinal manipulation increases trunk muscle strength assessed by electromyography: A comparative clinical trial. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 23(9), 585-595.

Getting your ESS in Shape

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Getting your ESS in Shape is important for your health, quality of life and longevity, so get moving.

Regular exercise is an important part of self-care and nobody can do it for you. Exercise keeps our minds and bodies healthy. You can do this at any level and any age to make the fitness part of self-care fun and exciting. If you are not currently exercising, are you waiting to be forced into it by a crisis? If you are already exercising, take it to the next level and Get Your ESS in Shape. Your ESS is made up of your: Endurance, Strength, Structure.

Endurance = Longevity

Life is a marathon one sprint at a time. Based on your current habits and health, would you trust your body to take you on a long-distance trek in an emergency? If you had to count on your body to save a loved one, would you be able to? If you had to run away to escape danger, could you? Your endurance is important for all these activities, and it is important for longevity.

If you have good endurance, you will enjoy a great sense of stamina and activity now and while you age. Your energy will be high and you will feel like doing things. You will not be left home alone while your partner goes off to experience the world. You can increase your stamina through cardiovascular, aerobic, exercise that strengthens your heart, burns calories, and increases your energy. Running, cycling, swimming, and power walking are just a few examples of types of exercise that will increase your endurance.

Endurance training is very important to keep your heart and lungs healthy, eliminate stress, and strengthen your immune system. Always exercise with a heart monitor to maximize your results and achieve your goals, while also ensuring that you exercise safely within the normal ranges for your age.

Strength = Independence

Strength training is also important for healthy aging because you are going to want and need strong muscles to keep you confident and maintain your independence as you age. We’ve all seen an older person struggle to get out of a chair. If you have good strength, you are more likely to remain self-sufficient and independent. Strength training can be done through weights, yoga, and Pilates. When you set goals for strength training and continually strive to achieve them, you will be excited to see that your strength can increase as you age. Your muscles can stay strong and defined. The sagging skin and muscles often come from not keeping your body toned through strength-training exercise.

If you are already an experienced strength trainer and have a routine, shake it up a little bit. Try increasing your weight by 10 percent to 20 percent. Get somebody to spot you if necessary and try to squeeze out a few more reps. Vary your exercises on each body part. Personal Trainers and many of the neighborhood fitness centers and chains, like CrossFit, have become extremely popular because they set up your routines and vary them for you. Work out with a partner and challenge each other. You will begin to see a better result. Always maintain good posture when you strength train to ensure that your form is good and your spine stays healthy during your training.

Structure = Activity

In countries where longevity is much higher than the U.S., good posture and a healthy spine are a very high priority. Your structure includes your body shape and physical frame. Keeping your structure aligned and balanced will keep you looking good and help to prevent injuries while you exercise. This will also help insure that your nervous system stays healthy whick will keep you healthier on every level.

How is your structure now? Have you measured yourself lately and set goals for your structure so that it is in the shape you desire over your lifetime? You can measure your structure with your eyes at first and decide how you want to change your shape, or get a tape measure and record your specific measurements. This will give you a starting point for goals that you want to set.

Another important way to evaluate your structure is through a posture test. Stand in front of a full length mirror with your eyes closed. March in place for five seconds, stop, hold still and open your eyes. Is your head tilted to one side? Are your shoulders and hips level? Are your feet straight, turned in or pointed out? Are you hunchback or swayback?

If you are unbalanced, you will be putting unnecessary strain on your structure, spine and nervous system when you exercise and run the risk of injury to your structure and nervous system. Don’t wait for a crisis to force you to take action. Now is the time for a chiropractic checkup.You are way overdue for a chiropractic check-up.

Take it to the highest level: Neurology and Nutrition

Neurology = Function – Nutrition = Fuel

Neurology comes first! Your nervous system controls and coordinates all of your body functions including your muscles, organs and systems. You must have a healthy nervous system for your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe and your balance to be stable. This is why many of the top athletes and performers in the world utilize chiropractic care as a central part of their fitness program.

Your nutritional habits will fuel your life. Consuming a diet filled with organic fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, very low in sugar and processed foods, should be the way you eat as a lifestyle. Isn’t it time you get off the weight loss roller coaster, cleanse, and make healthy eating a daily habit? This will sustain you not just while getting into shape but will keep you healthier as you age.

We’ve all heard the expression “if you don’t use it, you lose it.” This is absolutely true with your fitness. It’s time to get your ESS in shape and live your ideal 100 Year Lifestyle.