Night moves - the benefits to running after dark
DARKNESS falls over suburbia and while many people are
settling down in front of the television, there's a group of runners pulling on
their trainers and heading for the door.
For them, night is the most
convenient time for exercise. The mornings are full of lunch boxes, last-minute
homework or looking over work emails
It's time to put on the
reflective gear, stretch the muscles and get out among the, owls, dunnarts and
kangaroos
A wide variety of scientific
research reveals that running at night may actually be better for you.
While detailed analysis is
still patchy, the benefits appear to include everything from sleeping better at
night, completing multi-kilometre circuits up to a minute faster, better lung
function by up to 6 per cent and more rhythmic running.
In two recent studies at the
University of South Carolina, volunteers exercised at a moderate to high
intensity for between one and three hours and were able to drift off to a deep,
relaxing sleep a mere half-hour later.
Athletes may benefit from
evening workouts, ne contributing factor is body temperature, which tends to be
higher later in the day and has been linked to increased strength and reaction
time.
Another is the release of
two hormones important for energy metabolism, cortisol and thyrotropin, which
are at their highest levels in the evening.
"Running at night
definitely alters your sensory perception. During the day your vision more
strongly controls how you run," says Damian Farrow, professor of sports
science at Victoria University in Melbourne
"At night you rely more
on your lower level control, what we call your proprioceptive skills. Your feel
for the pavement or roadway or trail is heightened."
Proprioceptive skills are
the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body and the
strength of effort being employed in movement. It might sound a little quirky
or overly scientific, but it basically means your sense of locomotion.
"So potentially you
might run more effectively in that respect because running is best when you are
in a fairly automatic state rather than a controlled and conscious state,"
Farrow says.
"It allows your body to
react quite reflexively to a pothole or some uneven concrete. You react a
little more effectively than you would if you were consciously trying to
control your skill.
"The other sensation
you tend to experience at night is that you feel like you're moving faster."
Ahhh, the moonlight and romance that night-time runners are enjoying.
Care to join the night time runners club
TIPS FOR RUNNING AFTER DARK
FOLLOW COMMON SENSE
No isolated, pitch-black,
remote trails or roads, especially for women.
WEAR REFLECTIVE APPAREL
Most running shoes have
strips on them but someone in a car coming over a hill or around a corner will
see your upper body before your feet. There are plenty of wrist-arm bands,
hats, socks and singlets from sports, outdoors and cycle stores allowing you to
"glow" in the dark.
LEAVE THE iPOD AT HOME
Or at least turn it down so
low you can hear your feet pounding, and a car approaching from behind
CARRY A MOBILE PHONE
Pot holes, cracked
footpaths, lamp posts that jump out might injure you enough that you need help
hobbling home
LET SOMEONE KNOW
When you're leaving, where
you're going and what time you expect to be back.
BEFORE YOU GO RUNNING
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Don't eat a big meal
As
blood flows to your gut to help digestion, so your breathing and core muscles -
the running muscles - are deprived. You can feel sick or get "a
stitch" (cramp in the diaphragm muscle between stomach/lungs).
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If you are starving when you get home from work ...
Have
a sports drink or energy bar or something with some carbohydrate or protein in
it, such as a banana, jam sandwich or a small bowl of porridge. Leave 45
minutes to an hour so the light snack clears your gut.
AFTER YOU RUN
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Replenish
Elite
athletes will often down a protein-carbohydrate shake first thing after getting
home, or a handful or raisins, almonds or another banana to replenish the body.
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Cool down
Make
sure you cool down and shower before you have your evening meal. It's better
for your digestion if you eat when your core temperature is back to normal.
Ø
Portion control
Size
or volume is important. So have a small, well-balanced meal of meat, fish with
vegetables, some rice, pasta or potatoes. Dessert should be fruit. And drink
plenty of water.
