Structuring your walks, jogs, and runs for health and performance.
Some of you stated that one of the goals of participating in Can Walk Can Run is to improve your training for an event like a 5km or 10km run or – later in the year – something longer like a half or a full marathon. Therefore, this week I have focused on continuous and interval training as well as Nordic walking. The summary: Continuous training can help build up a base necessary for longer events. Interval training can help improve speed but also can be a tool to work up to longer runs. Performing a combination of both is a good way to approach event prep. But all types offer health benefit - including benefits specific to cancer type symptoms. So, if this is what you are after go with what you would enjoy most. Doing something is great :)
What do we mean by continuous running, interval running, and Nordic walking?
Continuous running refers to jogging or running performed at a steady pace. This allows you to acquire a higher volume of training, which is necessary to perform well in endurance events. That is, it is not always easy to walk, jog, or run at your fastest pace for long periods of time. But walking, jogging, or running for longer periods at a slower pace and lower overall intensity is possible and can help you increase your baseline fitness. An example might be a slightly longer jog with a friend at an intensity where you can still maintain a conversation or a run alongside Merri Creek where you can still say hi to people you pass or notice nature and your surroundings.
Interval running refers to jogging or running for shorter periods of time, with repeated efforts separated by rest or lower intensity periods. This approach allows you to practice running at higher speeds compared to continuous running. It can also be good for all levels of runners. For example, a beginner runner following the ‘Couch to 5k’ program might run for 1-minute then walk for 1-minute several times over. They could then build up to continuous training by slowly increasing the duration of the work periods. A more experienced runner might try something like running 400 metres at a high pace every two minutes, which would give them a little bit of rest between efforts depending on their speed. Interval training does not require as much time overall as continuous training and offers considerable health benefits. For example, there is moderate to strong level evidence that it can reduce cancer related fatigue symptoms, improve quality of life, and also improve maximum aerobic capacity after cancer treatment.
Nordic walking refers to a whole body, slightly more intense form of walking, that uses poles to engage the arms as well as the legs. It can be a good way to prepare for hikes or to make leisure walks more intense and will not place as much load on the body. I’ve included it here because it is recommended by a few cancer charity groups and because there is a growing body of evidence that Nordic walking can be used to achieve health benefits after cancer, such as including improving physical function and reducing the risk of lymphedema.
Why would these training types improve performance and reduce symptoms like fatigue?
Different types of exercise affect different bodily systems in different ways. One system that is useful to think about when we think about walking and running performance or health conditions like fatigue is mitochondria. Mitochondria are cells within the muscle that generate ATP - the body’s energy currency – which is needed to both run and perform activities of daily life. Having a higher number of mitochondria within the muscles is associated with improved long-distance performance. Having a lower number, or having reduced functionality of mitochondria, is associated with increased fatigue and may be related to conditions associated with more fatigue. Interestingly, continuous and interval training have different effects on mitochondria. Continuous training (like long runs or long nordic walks) seems to affect the number of mitochondria you have in the muscles. This is important for your ability to complete endurance events like longer distance running. Interval training seems to improve the function of the mitochondria – that is each the energy generation capacity of mitochondria improve. For this reason, if you’re looking to improve your run training in preparation for an event like a 10km, half marathon, or marathon, doing both types of training can be a good approach. If you’re looking to improve your health and well-being are less focused on running events, then pick the activity you are likely to enjoy more and complete successfully.
