The Basic Idea of Jogging, Part 2

Jogging Injuries. Injuries that result from jogging are difficult to diagnose. The body uses pain as a signal that something is wrong. But it is sometimes hard for doctors to tell what is causing the pain. The medical advice for joggers is to stop running when a persistent leg pain develops.

Tendonitis is a vague name given to an inflammation of the connecting link between muscle and bone, which can be caused by running. A person who runs too soon is subject to such an injury that can take a considerable time to heal. Muscle pulls and tears can also strike the experienced jogger who runs.

The safest way to avoid injuries is to adopt a sensible program of moderate jogging.

Muscle Cramps. When one of your muscles contracts powerfully and painfully, you have a muscle cramp. The contraction may occur at any time – at rest and during activity. Cramps usually occur without warning. Occasionally, however, you may be able to feel one “building up.”

The cause of the cramp is unknown. But Dr. Peter Karpovich has several ideas concerning the causative factors. First, a cramp may be the result of a lowered threshold of motor nerves, resulting in a sudden increase in the frequency of nerve impulses to the muscles. Second, the threshold of irritability of motor units may be lowered, thereby contracting the units beyond their limits. Since the muscle fiber has contracted too much, it may remain shortened for a long time, unless stretched.

When a cramp occurs, the best remedy is stretching the affected muscle and firmly kneading it. If the leg muscle is affected, walking for a few minutes usually eases the pain. However, if you sit down (as natural impulses dictate), the cramps will probably continue.

If you get cramps frequently, it is best to avoid vigorous movements until you have warmed up properly. It’s a good idea to take a look at your diet, too. A deficiency in calcium, sodium, and vitamin B may help to cause a muscle cramp.

Hormones of the Physically Fit. The human growth hormone (HGH) gets a different treatment in the body of the physically fit person as opposed to an unfit one, according to Lancet magazine, a British medical publication.

In the physically fit, the hormone rises swiftly with exercise and decreases within 30 minutes after exercising. But the unfit person sees it rise during exercise and continues to rise a long while after the activity is over.

The theory that no hormone acts independently of others – but rather that all act together – would indicate that the general hormone-related work of the body is much efficient in those who are physically fit,

Tidbits. Your body produces one billion red blood cells everyday. Every pound of excess fat you carry requires an extra 200 miles of capillaries. Your heart pumps more than 5 quarts of blood every minute, 2,000 gallons a day.