Running remains one of the most popular forms of aerobic exercise due to its’ effectiveness and minimal equipment costs and entry fees. The majority of runners will sustain a running related injury at some point in their careers limiting their ability to train or compete. Training errors, increases in a runner’s volume (frequency, duration, terrain, intensity) too quickly over time, often contribute to the development of an overuse injury. Increasing running volume without adequate recovery prevents body tissues from positively adapting to the stress of exercise. A recent study documents what percentage increases in running volume are most associated with injury.
Damsted and colleagues in the Journal of Sports Physical Therapy studied 261 healthy runners over a 14 week period as they trained for an upcoming 1/2 marathon race (2018). 22% of the runners sustained a running related injury over the 14 week study period. Authors examined participants’ running volume increases and found those who increased their running volume > 20% per week sustained significantly more injures than those increasing their volume < 20% per week.