| Have you ever run or walked in a marathon, half | | | | by wearing a heart-rate monitor (such as a strap |
| marathon, or other endurance race and become so | | | | around the chest that wirelessly communicates with |
| tense that your stride length became shorter than | | | | a wrist unit that displays heart rate), or by counting |
| normal? | | | | the number of beats in six seconds at the pulse point |
| This stride shortening comes from being too tense. | | | | on the wrist and then multiplying by ten. |
| And it can be very frustrating because you must | | | | - "Ventilation" -- also known by physiologists as |
| increase your cadence to maintain the same pace. | | | | "ventilatory volume" (VE) -- actually refers to a |
| But increasing your cadence can make you tenser, | | | | ventilation rate, usually measured in liters per minute, |
| which can lead to further shortening of your stride. | | | | and equals the product of "ventilatory frequency" |
| In contrast, have you ever watched a track race -- | | | | (Vf), measured in breaths per minute, and "tidal |
| say, a 100-meter sprint -- in slow motion and noticed | | | | volume" (TV), usually measured in liters per breath. |
| this about the winner of the race? | | | | - "VO2" is the measure of the volume of oxygen |
| - The winner's face was relaxed and pliable, almost | | | | uptake by the body in one minute. |
| fluttering in the wind. | | | | - "VO2max" refers to the maximal volume of oxygen |
| - The winner's head was erect and relaxed, with no | | | | that can be consumed in one minute during maximal |
| tension in the neck -- at least not until perhaps the | | | | effort (exhaustive exercise), and it can be increased |
| very end of the race, when the winner may have | | | | with the right kind of training. |
| had to stretch his or her neck across the finish line. | | | | - "VO2submax" refers to a rate of oxygen |
| - The winner's hands were relaxed, not tense or | | | | consumption that is less than VO2max. |
| tight. | | | | Given that the New Zealand study was performed |
| If this degree of relaxation is important for elite | | | | on a treadmill in a lab on runners with gear attached |
| sprinters, who race for under ten seconds at a time, | | | | to them to measure heart rate, etc., how can you |
| then it should make sense to you that this degree of | | | | apply the results of this study -- as well as your own |
| relaxation -- in other words, lack of tenseness -- is | | | | slow-motion analysis of sprinters -- to your own |
| important, too, for endurance runners and walkers, | | | | running or walking out on the road or trail in an |
| who race for up to several hours at a time. | | | | endurance race? |
| A 1999 study of sub-elite endurance runners | | | | First, recognize that you can use your mind to relax |
| published by researchers at University of Otago, | | | | during an endurance race. |
| Dunedin, New Zealand, in Medicine and Science in | | | | Second, appreciate that you must pay attention to |
| Sports and Exercise concluded that these runners | | | | certain physiological factors that are indicative of |
| could improve their running economy by using | | | | your degree of relaxation: |
| relaxation techniques involving biofeedback of heart | | | | - Heart rate |
| rate, ventilation, and VO2 -- all while running at | | | | - Breathing |
| VO2submax. | | | | - Tenseness in face, neck, and hands |
| - "Running economy" is measured by how much | | | | Third, monitor these physiological factors in your |
| oxygen is required to run at a given speed, with a | | | | endurance race so that you can mentally drive them |
| decreasing requirement for oxygen indicating an | | | | in the direction of greater relaxation. And you can |
| increasing running economy. | | | | become good at this by learning and practicing |
| - "Heart rate" (HR) is measured in beats per minute | | | | biofeedback-based relaxation while stationary. |
| and can be obtained while racing in a couple of ways: | | | | |