Evaluation of the Sport
Marathon running involves movement in one single direction making it a unidirectional sport (Subotnick, 1991). When in motion, the body alternates between the stance and swing phases of gait in a cyclic nature with each cycle consisting of two periods of double float, once at the start and once at the end of the swing phase (Novacheck, 1988). The maintenance of a high rate of oxygen consumption for extensive periods is the key physiological requirement of a marathon runner (Reilly, 1990), with high resistance to fatigue, type 1 muscle fibres are the dominant fibre type utilised (Kraemer & Fleck, 2011) and the aerobic system supplies the majority of the required ATP (Reilly, 1990). The primary muscles utilised are all lower-body muscles namely the hamstrings, quadriceps, gastrocnemius, soleus and hip flexors as well as postural and shoulder muscles for stability (Baechle & Earle, 2009). Marathon runners are at high risk of injury, particularly those to the knee such as patellofemoral pain syndrome (Fredericson & Misra, 2007). Amongst other commonly reported injuries are Iliotibial band friction syndrome and achilles tendonitis and it has been reported that novice runners are at greater risk of injury than elite runners (Fredericson & Misra, 2007).
Evaluation of the Athlete
Marathon running involves movement in one single direction making it a unidirectional sport (Subotnick, 1991). When in motion, the body alternates between the stance and swing phases of gait in a cyclic nature with each cycle consisting of two periods of double float, once at the start and once at the end of the swing phase (Novacheck, 1988). The maintenance of a high rate of oxygen consumption for extensive periods is the key physiological requirement of a marathon runner (Reilly, 1990), with high resistance to fatigue, type 1 muscle fibres are the dominant fibre type utilised (Kraemer & Fleck, 2011) and the aerobic system supplies the majority of the required ATP (Reilly, 1990). The primary muscles utilised are all lower-body muscles namely the hamstrings, quadriceps, gastrocnemius, soleus and hip flexors as well as postural and shoulder muscles for stability (Baechle & Earle, 2009). Marathon runners are at high risk of injury, particularly those to the knee such as patellofemoral pain syndrome (Fredericson & Misra, 2007). Amongst other commonly reported injuries are Iliotibial band friction syndrome and achilles tendonitis and it has been reported that novice runners are at greater risk of injury than elite runners (Fredericson & Misra, 2007).
Evaluation of the Athlete
The athlete in hand is a 49 year old female currently training for the world famous London marathon. The individual has no previous running experience and has one year to prepare for the event. Although this individual has never suffered from a sporting injury, the athlete has bilateral gluteus medius weakness, which could potentially lead to injury, and hamstring and calf tightness have been reported to occur sporadically, an issue which could contribute to raised heels on the squat. In addition to this poor squat technique, a movement assessment flagged up poor basic strength of the athlete, poor core stability and poor running mechanics. The primary resistance training goal of this athlete is the development of muscular endurance and the secondary training goals are to reduce the risk of injury via improvements in flexibility and core stability.
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