IT Bands - The Plague of Runners

I never considered myself much of a runner, mostly because as you can see from my turtle like paces while training for a half marathon, I'm not. However, whenever the urge takes me to increase my milage, I always start to develop the same set of problems. The most common to all runners of these is difficulty with my IT bands.

What Are IT Bands?

Well, it stands for illiotibial band. Pretty much it's like a leather belt of fibers that runs from the outside of your hip to the outside of your knee. And it's pretty important particularly in stabilizing your knee, which is not a joint you want to be moving in the wrong direction.

Through over use/incorrect use it becomes tight, rubs against the bump at the bottom of your upper leg bone (aka  the lateral femoral epicondyle, 'b' in the diagram) and becomes inflamed. 

borrowed from http://doctoratehousewife.com

What Does ITB Syndrome Feel Like?

Wondering if you have it now? Well, the most common symptom is pain on the outside of your knee, though the pain can extend all the way up the band. It can be while running, or increase even after you've stopped the activity (that's inflammation for you). This can also be followed by swelling if you ignore it.  Still not sure if this is the cause of your pain? Well, it is usually worsened by going up or down stairs, where the IT band is relied upon more. Feel free to test that one out.

What Can Cause ITB Syndrome?

So, overall it is inflammation from overuse and friction. However, 'overuse' doesn't just mean too much running, it means exercise where either the other stabilizers are not doing their share, so the ITB is doing too much, or where the particular motion requires more stabilization than the normal.

Other Stabilizers Not Doing Their Share:
Your ITB is meant to work in conjunction with lots of different muscles around your leg such as your glutes (yup, your butt, it's big for a reason!) and the guys around your hip (inside, outside, upside down... you get the idea) as well as core muscles further up. If these other muscles are weak or not firing properly, your poor ITB picks up the slack, he's just that kinda guy.

Need For Increased Stabilization:
There are a range of body abnormalities that can increase the strain on your ITBs, such as high or low arches, uneven leg lengths, or a tendency to turn the foot in or out too much. These you need to identify, and try to correct as much as possible. A good sports doctor is what you want here.
However, there are also a range of external factors. The most common for runners is always running on the same side of the road. As the road tilts just slightly to drain away, it means you are constantly running unevenly.
Similarly, various types of exercises can increase the strain. For example, exercises that require a squatting motion - climbing up and down stairs or rowing - puts your knee in a position where it is less stable, and if your other stabilizers aren't helping, will overwork your IT band more than normal.


Treatment and Prevention:

First of all, deal with the symptoms. If you have gotten to the inflammation stage: RICE - Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate. You can then start stretching the ITBs out by using a foam roller and doing particular stretches such as this one:

From http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/itband.v2.html

Stretching has always been recommended for ITB syndrome, but a lot of people find it only helps slightly. That's because it's helping with the symptoms, but you haven't addressed the underlying problems. So, don't forget the next two steps for a lifetime of (this particularly type of) pain-free running.

Second, try to minimise external factors. Swap the sides of the road you run on. See if you can get correction for arch problems, etc.

Third, strengthen up the other stablisers to they do their part. Try these exercises on a regular basis to keep everything pulling their own weight.

Using the combination of all three there is no reason not to look forward to running, jumping and hiking pain free.

Now it's just a matter of fitting it into my training schedule! These can be done before or after your work out. I like to do them without the band while brushing my teeth, as it makes sure I at least do something.

Anyone got any other good exercises for treating ITB syndrome?

Heart Rates Part 1: Your Resting Heart Rate

Why should you know your own heart rate before, during and after exercise? Why monitor your heart rate, and does working out at specific heart rates work better than at specific speeds?

This is the first in a series of posts on understanding your own heart rate and how to use that information to better tailor your exercise programs. Understanding your own heart rate, your maximum hr, your anaerobic thresholds, and your resting rate is pretty much fundamental for beginning any sort of serious exercise program.

In a later posts I will look at working out your maximum heart rate, understanding the different thresholds, and exercise programs based on working out at specific heart rates, such as the much discussed Maffetone Method. But today we start at the beginning: your resting heart rate.

Your heart rate, as might be very obvious, is the speed at which your heart is pumping. When your muscles require more blood, your heart pumps faster, when you are at rest your heart pumps slower. However, a higher heart rate doesn't always mean you are doing good things to your body. Your heart also pumps faster when it is stressed or sick, or if it is working very inefficiently.

So, do you want a high resting heart rate or a low one?

One of the biggest aims of fitness is to have your body able to do more with less effort. You want to be able to run faster with your heart pumping slower, because this means its not as stressed. Generally speaking, as you get fitter, your resting heart rate will go down. Your heart will be able to pump more blood with less effort.

Therefore, it is important to work out at the beginning of a program what your current resting heart rate is, which lets you know how fit you are now, and gives you a basis to see if you are improving later.

Working out your resting heart rate is super easy and needs only a clock that counts seconds.

It's best to take your resting heart rate just after waking up, but any time you have been lying still and not moving for a period of time will work (this is one of the few times I'm going to recommend watching TV, so enjoy it.)

Find your pulse either at your radial artery on your wrist just below your thumb or at your carotid artery in your neck. Make sure you are using just your index and middle finger to find the pulse, as your thumb has a slight pulse of its own and can confuse the counting.

Now, time yourself and count how many times it pulses in ten seconds. Then times this by 6 and you have your resting heart rate in beats per minutes. (You can also count for 30 seconds and times it by 2, if you feel this is more accurate, or count for the full 60 seconds, as with only 10 seconds miss-counting by one can have a much larger effect.)

It is suggested that:
60 or below beats per minute: = a fit athlete.
60- 80 bpm = average.
81-100 bpm = is high, but ok.
101 + bpm = not so good.

It is best to record your heart rate every morning for a week to try and get an average as its quite easy to have an unusual reading, such as waking up after a scary dream.

If you are serious about a new exercise program, particularly if you are an athlete, it is highly recommended that you take your resting heart rate every single morning. The major reason for this is that your resting heart rate will generally go up 10 bpm if your body is starting to fight an illness, and is a good indicator that you should cut down on your training until it returns to normal. This is an excellent way to try and avoid over-training.

Now that you know your resting heart rate, in the next post we will look at your maximum heart rate.