At TMB, our signature FIIX treatment method uses a combination of fascial release, acupuncture, and rehab to alleviate pain caused by a variety of sports-related injuries, including shin splints, knee injuries, Achilles tendonosis, SI joint dysfunction, back pain and of course (true) plantar fasciitis or other foot dysfunction! If you are local, a visit to get assessed is definitely a MUST! If you are not local, or are looking for more tips, here are some non hands-on ways to help get the most out of your runs! In other words, here’s how you can biohack your run!
BIOHACK YOUR RUN TIP #1:
Make Sure You Properly Re-hydrate
Yes, you’ve heard it before and for good reason! Your tissues NEED clean water, electrolytes and minerals to properly function and recover. NOT GATORADE. To optimize hydration, sip filtered water slowly throughout the day. Add a little pink salt, lemon, cucumber or fresh herbs to replenish your electrolytes. OR… grab a clean electrolyte booster like this one. (tastes like lemon-lime ‘gatorade’ and is good for active kids too!).
BIOHACK TIP #2:
Don’t Run Close To Bedtime
Studies show that exercising at night can affect your sleep quality, as it increases your adrenaline levels and speeds up your heart rate. It takes us about 2 hours to burn off the adrenaline high, so rather than running then trying to take a sleeping pill, it’s best to keep a 3 hour window (minimum) between your run and when you plan on going to sleep.
BIOHACK YOUR RUN TIP #3:
Avoid Heavy Meals
Running on a full stomach is not ideal. In order to supply muscles with the oxygen and optimal energy they need for running, blood is redirected to your skeletal muscles. Decreased blood flow to the gut means that digestion becomes more difficult and can cause stomach cramping & gastrointestinal problems. Try running before a meal instead!
BIOHACK TIP #4:
Supplement With Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium is vital for the conversion of glycogen to glucose – the body’s main fuel during exercise. Having a sufficient amount of magnesium (like this one) helps speed up recovery, reduce fatigue and avoid injuries. It also helps muscles relax (cramps anyone?), aids in sleep and tonifies the adrenal glands (which, if stressed might be keeping the body in holding fat mode rather than be burning it for fuel).
BIOHACK TIP #5:
Mobilize your Fascia
Running injuries can stem from a wide array of issues causing trigger points or dysfunction anywhere up the corresponding fascial sleeve leading to referral pain (i.e. that foot!). Yes, the same fascia from our plantar fascia travels all the way up to our neck! So yes, it might even be originating from your work zoom posture! By mobilizing the right fascial sleeves prior to running, you can groove the right motor patterns which will improve running mechanics and prevent injury. That’s where our TMB FIIX visits can come in handy or if you’re not local, even a quick foam roll or some trigger release on a TMB corkball can make all the difference!
BIOHACK TIP #6:
Breathe through your nose
Probably THE most popular reason people run is to improve their cardiovascular fitness. Research shows that an important part of cardiovascular fitness is connected to a specific molecule called nitric oxide (NO) which is produced at different sites in the human airways and is involved with regulating healthy blood flow and blood pressure levels. When we inhale through our nose, nasal NO increases oxygenation to tissues and reduces pulmonary artery pressure. This molecule is so special we could do a whole newsletter on it, but… here’s the bottom line.
Initially, this might be a difficult adjustment if mouth breathing is habitual for you. When you first start nasal breathing, you might feel that you can’t run as fast/efficiently as you can when breathing through your mouth, and you could feel out of breath. Take a break, or walk to recover and re-start again.
(Re-training nasal breathing is something we help with in our FUNC MED programs.)
If you take one thing away from today:
The nose is for breathing, the mouth is for eating!
HOW TMB CAN HELP!
Curious to know your NO level? Want to optimize your cardiovascular health? Dr. Bhat and Dr. Shelley can easily and affordably test your NO level and give you the road map to get back on track! Ask about our functional medicine options today!