In this blog post – the final in our series of 5 on running – we focus on body composition and why runners should be aware of it. Lize-Jeanne from Lize-Jeanne Coetzee Biokineticist in Stellenbosch compiled the content.
Runners, especially, must take note of and understand the role that body composition plays in successfully practicing their sport. Whereas body weight can influence a runner’s speed, endurance and power, body composition can affect the runner’s strength, agility and appearance.
Let’s look at this in more detail…
Body composition
All of us are born with an inherited body type based on skeletal frame and body composition (obviously in different, unique combinations). Body composition describes the percentages of fat, bone, water, and muscle in the human body. This must not be confused with body weight. Measuring body composition gives a snapshot of the body’s makeup and helps to identify areas to work on to improve overall health, wellness and, for runners, performance in your sport.
We can analyse and assess body composition and, in doing so, differentiate between fat, protein, minerals, and body water to give an indication of a person’s health. Body composition analysis also accurately shows changes in fat mass, muscle mass, and body fat percentage. (In sports circles, body composition is sometimes referred to as the distribution of muscle and fat in the body.)
Importance for runners
Body composition and body type play an important role in a runner’s efficiency. Without going into the detail, in general three body types exist – those who are lean with little body fat and little muscle, those with lots of body fat and lots of muscle, and those who are athletic, solid, and strong. Whereas all of us in the three body type categories can participate in running as a sport, runners in certain body type categories may find it harder to run. They may also find that running impacts with a higher intensity on their bodies than what it does to other runners.
While running, the joints in the body absorb a load of more or less the runner’s body weight multiplied by 2,5. Lean runners, therefore, bear a lesser load on their joints, and run with greater ease and less discomfort than their heavier counterparts. They also have an advantage in speed and endurance, as their running biomechanics function with greater ease, resulting in higher performance.
Assessment of the body’s composition
At Lize-Jeanne Coetzee Biokineticist we use the InBody body composition analyser, a medical grade, state of the art device which allows us to go beyond your weight to measure the body composition components – total body water (TBW), body fat mass, skeletal muscle mass (protein) and body mineral mass – and to display the results on an organized, easy-to-understand result sheet. These results help runners understand where their fat, muscle, and body levels are at, and act as a guide to help them achieve their goals, whether it entails shedding a few unwanted kilos, or a complete body transformation. It especially serves as a scientific tool for runners and athletes who continue to train both in and out of season to keep on track towards achieving their desired goals.
Even more advantages
Different from the traditional methods of using only body weight or Body Mass Index (BMI) in an effort to try to understand body composition, the InBody technology not only accurately analyses the body composition at any given moment, it also tracks changes by giving feedback on muscle and fat loss/gain during follow-up analysis.
Furthermore, this non-invasive analysing process, which takes less than 60 seconds to complete, also allows us to do the following:
· assess muscle distribution and areas weakened by injury;
· identify muscle and fat imbalances in each segment of the body; and
· monitor changes to determine the efficiency of an exercise program and diet plans to ensure ongoing, long-term success.
What do others say?
Jasper Cloete, a trail and ultramarathon runner, understands the impact that excessive body weight can have on a runner. Having shed 20 kg of weight since he first started running not only made a huge difference in his performance, but also helped him to recover from an existing injury and to prevent further harm.
He also found great value in having had an InBody body composition analysis done. The results pointed out areas in his body, and especially certain muscles, that needed attention, which he was able to rectify by following a personalised biokinetics exercise programme.
Jasper sums up his experience in a straightforward manner when he says that most runners do not know how to run correctly and that they do not understand the intricacy of the sport. “Get someone to guide and train you,” he says. “Even more important, make sure that you understand how your body works and how knowledge of your body composition can help you to run better and enjoy your sport even more. For this, knock on the door of your biokineticist!”
For Jasper, the long-term benefit of this is that he now finds it easy to reach and maintain what he refers to as his “running sweet spot” – that aerobic zone where he is able to run at optimal heart rate for aerobic activity.
In conclusion
Although reference to the aerobic zone does not necessarily fit in with the theme of this specific blog post that deals with body composition analysis, it actually serves as an ideal conclusion for this series on running.
The optimal heart rate for aerobic training is determined with the 180 Formula of Dr. Phil Maffetone. It works as follows:
· Subtract your age from 180 (i.e. 180 less age).
· Modify this number, if necessary, by selecting from the following categories the one that best matches your health and fitness profile:
o If you are recovering from a major illness (heart disease, operation, hospital stay, for example) or if you are on any regular medication, subtract and additional 10.
o If you have not exercised before, exercise irregularly, have been exercising with an injury, have regressed in training or competition, become ill with more than two cases of colds or flu per year, or have allergies or asthma, subtract an additional 5.
If you have been exercising regularly (at least four times a week) for up to two years without any of the above-mentioned, use the 180 minus your age number as your optimal heart rate. If you are a competitive athlete and have been training for more than two years without any of the above-mentioned, and have made progress in competition without injury, add 5.
The heart rate obtained by using this formula is referred to as the maximum aerobic heart rate (or Jasper’s “running sweet spot”). Often athletes who use this formula for the first time, find the exercise tempo too easy. This could be that they expect to be training at higher intensities, even to over-train. The “no pain, no gain” myth, furthermore, could leave a perception that training must be done at unusually high heart rate zones.
The interesting part of this is that, as your aerobic system improves, runners will find that they must work harder to maintain the maximum aerobic heart rate.
Thank you
Thank you for joining us for this series of five blog posts on running. We trust that it was of value to you. Enjoy your running, stay safe and injury-free and, above all, sweat it out in that running sweet spot. This, after all, is why we enjoy running so much!
Lize-Jeanne Coetzee and Manjé Deyzel
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