Benefits of long distance running

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We have already touched on the topic of long running more than once and considered it mainly from the side of alleviating the suffering that an unprepared runner experiences during his first runs. However, it happens that long-distance runners are not very much to their liking. Therefore, today we will talk about what exactly long runs give and why you should include them in your training plan, regardless of whether we are preparing for 5 km or a marathon.

So why should we do long-distance running sometimes? What does he give us?

As we already said, long distance running should be included even in the simplest 5 km running plan, even if the “long distance” is 10 km (by the way, a great option for such a first run). Maria Simone, a certified triathlon coach, says running long distances makes us stronger, stronger, and teaches us how to cope with fatigue.

Advantage # 1. Marathon runner and running coach Kevin Beck believes that adding kilometers to the standard distance triggers long-term physical changes in the body. For example, increasing the number of capillaries in muscles increases their oxygen supply, which in turn has a positive effect on performance.

Advantage # 2. The number and size of mitochondria, the aerobic powerhouses of our cells, are also increasing. This helps our body to quickly replenish and store the energy needed for muscle work.

Advantage # 3. Our muscles begin to make large stores of glycogen. This allows you to get rid of the feeling of fatigue, or at least postpones this unpleasant moment.

Mitochondria (from the Greek μίτος - thread and χόνδρος - grain, grain) - a two-membrane spherical or ellipsoidal organoid with a diameter of usually about 1 micron. Cell power station; the main function is the oxidation of organic compounds and the use of the energy released during their decay to generate an electric potential, ATP synthesis and thermogenesis. These three processes are carried out due to the movement of electrons along the electron transport chain of proteins of the inner membrane. The number of mitochondria in the cells of different organisms differs significantly. The specialized cells of animal organs contain hundreds and even thousands of mitochondria (brain, heart, muscles).

Glycogen - (C6H10O5) n, a polysaccharide formed by glucose residues linked by α-1 → 4 bonds (α-1 → 6 at branch points); the main storage carbohydrate of animals. Glycogen is the main form of glucose storage in animal cells. It is deposited in the form of granules in the cytoplasm in many types of cells (mainly liver and muscles). Glycogen forms an energy reserve that can be quickly mobilized if necessary to make up for a sudden lack of glucose. In muscles, glycogen is processed into glucose exclusively for local consumption and accumulates in much lower concentrations (no more than 1% of the total muscle mass), at the same time, its total muscle stock may exceed the stock accumulated in hepatocytes.

Advantage # 4. When running long distances, more myoglobin begins to be produced in the muscle fibers. Myoglobin can be compared to hemoglobin in the blood, it carries oxygen from cell membranes to mitochondria. More myoglobin → more oxygen goes to the mitochondria → more energy for muscle work.

Advantage # 5. Our muscles are made up of two types of fibers - "slow" and "fast". This ratio is genetically programmed and does not change throughout life. The higher the percentage of "slow" fibers in our muscles, the easier it is for us to run long distances. But muscle fibers are able to mimic the variant we need, and during long runs "fast" fibers acquire the characteristics of "slow" ones. Thanks to this mechanism, fast runners (sprinters) are able to run a marathon with pretty good results.

Advantage # 6. Long-distance running helps us work on our psychological state. It increases our psychological resilience, and is also a dress rehearsal before the competition, allows you to test various options for psychological entertainment (or distractions - whoever has it) and choose those tricks for the race that work best in a particular case.

The fun begins when you go through all the stages of agony and start to really enjoy long distances! Not the fact that this process will be quick and easy, but what you like is a fact proven by millions of runners. Even if your longest distance is only 10 km.;)