Legs Feeling Heavy While Running? Fix It NOW! (Part 1/2)

Summary

This video discusses why your legs may feel heavy while running and offers practical solutions to overcome this issue. It explains General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) and how stress affects your body in running. Key factors include lack of sleep, poor running form, overtraining, and improper nutrition. The video highlights the importance of strength training, the right running shoes, and maintaining a balanced diet rich in carbs, fats, and protein. It also provides tips on improving sleep, running technique, and avoiding overtraining to enhance performance and reduce leg fatigue.

Takeaways

• 🛌 One main cause of heavy legs during running is a lack of quality sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours per night and avoid late-day caffeine or screen time.
• 👟 Poor running form can contribute to heavy legs. Focus on landing on your forefoot, keeping your chest up, and running with a long tailbone.
• 💪 Foot strength plays a big role in reducing leg fatigue. Strengthening exercises like toe pickups and calf raises can help.
• 💥 Excessive weight training can lead to fatigue and soreness, impacting running performance. Two to three sessions per week is ideal.
• 🕑 Overtraining can cause constant tiredness, slower runs, and increased injury risk. Include deload weeks every four weeks to allow recovery.
• 👞 Wearing the wrong shoes for your pronation can cause heavy legs. Get a proper gait analysis to choose the right type of shoes.
• 🍎 Eating enough quality carbs, fats, and protein is essential for energy and recovery. Carbs fuel runs, fats provide long-term energy, and protein helps repair muscles.
• 🍗 Aim for at least 1.6g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Distribute protein intake throughout the day for optimal muscle recovery.
• 🔄 Do strength training on different days than running to avoid impacting performance. If done on the same day, run first and lift weights afterward.
• ⏱ Give yourself 24-72 hours of recovery between weight training sessions to ensure you are fresh for your next workout or run.

Q & A

What is General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) and how does it relate to running?

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) describes the process your body goes through when exposed to stress, such as running. It consists of three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. If the stress isn't resolved, it can lead to physical and mental health problems, including heavy legs during running.

How does lack of sleep affect running performance?

Lack of sleep can make your runs feel harder, increase your risk of injury, reduce your running speed, impair concentration, slow reaction time, and lead to poor running form. It can also contribute to the feeling of heavy legs during running.

What are some tips to improve sleep quality for runners?

To improve sleep quality, try to sleep in cycles, avoid caffeine late in the day, avoid phone or TV screens 90 minutes before bed, take naps during the day if possible, and prioritize sleep just like you would your running training.

How does running form impact the feeling of heavy legs?

Poor running form can lead to heavy legs because you put more pressure and force through your legs with each stride. Improving form, such as switching from heel striking to forefoot striking, can reduce the strain on your legs and help them feel lighter after runs.

Why is foot strength important for preventing heavy legs during running?

Strong feet help absorb force while running. If your feet aren't strong enough, the rest of your leg has to absorb more impact, making your legs feel heavier. Exercises like toe pickups and calf raises can improve foot strength and reduce this strain.

How can improper arm movement during running contribute to fatigue?

Improper arm movement, such as crossing the center line of your body, wastes energy and makes you work harder than necessary. Keeping your arms moving in a natural path with shorter levers conserves energy and reduces overall fatigue.

How can weight training negatively impact running performance?

Excessive weight training, especially lifting too heavy, can make your muscles sore and fatigued, leading to slower running performance. To avoid this, strength train on separate days from your runs or run first before lifting weights.

What are signs of overtraining, and how can you avoid it?

Signs of overtraining include declining running performance, constant fatigue, hard-feeling runs, frequent injuries, and increased vulnerability to illness. To avoid overtraining, incorporate 'deload' weeks into your plan, where you reduce intensity and volume to allow recovery.

How do shoes affect the feeling of heavy legs during running?

Wearing the wrong shoes can contribute to heavy legs. It’s important to wear shoes that match your pronation type (neutral, supinating, or overpronating) and replace them every 300-500 miles to avoid excessive wear and discomfort.

How does nutrition play a role in preventing heavy legs when running?

Proper nutrition, including adequate intake of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, is crucial for energy and muscle recovery. Carbs provide energy for your runs, fats support longer distances, and protein helps muscles repair and rebuild, all of which can prevent heavy legs.

Outlines

00:00

🏃‍♂️ Understanding Heavy Legs When Running

In this video, the presenter discusses why runners may experience heavy legs and offers solutions to prevent it in future runs. The video is part one of a two-part series. The first reason explored is a lack of sleep, which negatively impacts running by making legs feel heavy, increasing the risk of injury, and slowing down performance. Tips for better sleep include following sleep cycles, avoiding caffeine, and reducing screen time before bed. Another factor is running form—poor form increases stress on the legs. Runners should focus on foot strike, arm movement, and keeping their chest up while running.

05:01

👟 Improving Running Form and Strength to Avoid Heavy Legs

This section emphasizes that strength and foot stability are crucial for preventing heavy legs. Proper foot strike (landing on the forefoot) helps reduce pressure on the legs, while arm movement should follow a natural, short-lever motion to conserve energy. Overtraining in the gym, especially lifting too much weight, can also lead to sore legs and poor running performance. The video suggests balancing strength training with rest and recovery, scheduling strength sessions appropriately, and personalizing training plans for optimal results.

💪 Avoiding Overtraining and Choosing the Right Footwear

Runners are warned about overtraining and its impact on heavy legs, citing fatigue, declining performance, and increased risk of injury. The solution is to implement recovery periods, like 'deload weeks,' to allow the body to recover. Additionally, wearing improper shoes can contribute to heavy legs. Runners should wear shoes suited to their pronation type (neutral, supination, or over-pronation) and replace them every 300-500 miles. The video provides guidelines on shoe selection based on wear patterns and emphasizes having different pairs for regular training and race days.

🍎 Fueling Your Body: Carbs, Fats, and Protein

The final part highlights the importance of proper nutrition in avoiding heavy legs. Carbohydrates are essential for maintaining glycogen levels, while fats provide long-term energy for longer runs. Protein is crucial for muscle repair and recovery, and runners are advised to consume 1.6g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Tips include eating balanced meals with all macronutrients, spreading protein intake throughout the day, and consuming a protein shake within 30 minutes post-run for optimal recovery. This marks the end of part one, encouraging viewers to watch part two for more insights.

Keywords

💡General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) refers to the three-stage process the body undergoes when exposed to stress, such as running. These stages are alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. The video explains how failing to resolve stress through adaptation can lead to physical issues, such as feeling heavy legs during a run.

💡Sleep

Sleep is highlighted as a critical factor for runners, affecting their performance and leg heaviness. The video emphasizes that inadequate sleep impacts recovery, increases the risk of injury, and diminishes running efficiency. It suggests aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep per night and offers practical tips to improve sleep quality.

💡Running Form

Proper running form is essential to avoid heavy legs and improve performance. The video suggests maintaining good posture, avoiding heel striking, and ensuring arm movement is efficient to conserve energy. Poor form increases the impact on the legs and makes runs more difficult and injury-prone.

💡Foot Strength

Foot strength plays a pivotal role in absorbing the force generated during running. Weak feet cause additional stress on the legs, leading to heaviness. The video recommends exercises like toe pickups and calf raises to strengthen the feet and reduce the burden on the legs during runs.

💡Weight Training

Weight training is important for building strength and improving running efficiency, but overdoing it can lead to muscle fatigue and slower performance. The video advises balancing weight training with running, suggesting no more than two to three sessions per week, and always prioritizing runs over weights.

💡Overtraining

Overtraining occurs when runners push themselves too hard without allowing sufficient recovery. This leads to signs like constant fatigue, heavy legs, and increased risk of injuries. The video recommends scheduling deload weeks, where intensity and volume are reduced, to allow for recovery and performance improvement.

💡Pronation

Pronation refers to the way a runner's foot rolls inward upon landing. The video discusses the importance of choosing running shoes that match one’s pronation type, whether neutral, overpronating, or supinating. Wearing the wrong shoes can contribute to leg heaviness and discomfort during runs.

💡Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source, and insufficient intake can result in low glycogen stores and fatigue during runs. The video emphasizes the importance of consuming good quality carbs, such as fruits and vegetables, to maintain energy levels and prevent heavy legs during exercise.

💡Protein

Protein is vital for muscle repair and recovery after runs. The video suggests runners should consume at least 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Adequate protein intake, especially post-exercise, helps reduce the heavy leg sensation by facilitating muscle recovery.

💡Running Shoes

Running shoes are a critical component for avoiding heavy legs and injuries. The video advises choosing shoes based on your pronation type and replacing them every 300-500 miles to ensure proper support. Worn-out shoes can lead to increased fatigue and discomfort during runs.

Highlights

One of the main causes of heavy legs is a lack of good quality sleep, which also impacts running performance and increases injury risk.

Most people need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to avoid heavy legs and improve running efficiency.

Running with poor form can lead to heavy legs by putting unnecessary strain on your body.

Heel striking while running adds more pressure on the legs, and shifting to forefoot striking improves biomechanics and reduces fatigue.

Strengthening your feet with exercises like toe pickups and calf raises can alleviate stress on your legs and reduce the feeling of heaviness.

Proper arm movement while running can conserve energy and improve running efficiency, reducing the feeling of heavy legs.

Overdoing weight training can lead to muscle soreness and heavier legs, especially if lifting too heavy.

Balancing strength training with running is essential—running should be prioritized before weight sessions to prevent muscle fatigue.

Overtraining without proper recovery can cause physical fatigue, leading to heavier legs and declining running performance.

Deload weeks are recommended every 4 weeks, reducing training intensity and volume to prevent overtraining and leg fatigue.

Wearing the wrong type of shoes for your gait can cause heavy legs; it’s crucial to wear shoes suited for your pronation type.

Runners should replace their shoes every 300 to 500 miles to avoid leg fatigue caused by worn-out shoes.

Proper nutrition, including sufficient carbs, fats, and proteins, is critical to avoiding heavy legs during runs.

Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for runners, and low glycogen levels can cause muscle fatigue and heavier legs.

Consuming protein within 30 minutes post-exercise helps muscle recovery and reduces leg heaviness, with a recommended intake of 1.6g of protein per kg of body weight.

Transcripts

do your legs feel heavy when running if

so you're in the right place because in

this video I'm going to show you seven

reasons why this could be happening as

well as everything that you can do right

now to make sure this doesn't happen

going into your next run there's going

to be two videos this is part one so

make sure that you watch part two after

this one to give you context to why this

happens Nick is going to walk you

through General Adaptation Syndrome or

gas for short General Adaptation

Syndrome or gas describes the process

your body goes through when you're

exposed to any kind of stress in this

case running it has three stages alarm

resistance and exhaust I if you don't

resolve the stress that has triggered

gas it can lead to physical and mental

health problems today we're talking

about physical and why you've got those

heavy legs during your run here are the

factors that could be causing it and how

you can fix them one of the main causes

of heavy legs is how much good quality

sleep you are or aren't getting right

now one in three people are not getting

enough sleep apart from getting heavy

legs when you run lack of sleep makes

your runs feel harder increases your

risk of injury affects the speed that

you can run at impacts your

concentration levels decreases your

reaction time and can lead to poor

running form the amount of sleep varies

from person to person most people will

need somewhere between 7 to 9 hours of

sleep per night though here are a few

ways you can get more sleep sleep in

Cycles not hours avoid caffeine late in

the day come off your phone and stop

watching TV 90 minutes before your

planned sleep time nap in the day if you

can and make sleep a priority like your

run training we've also put together a

video that is appearing here now showing

you 25 science back ways you can sleep

better so click here now if you want to

watch that too running can be taxing on

your legs especially if you aren't

running with good form you put two to

three times your body weight into the

ground with each stride running with

poor form it's going to leave those legs

feeling battered heavy and make you more

prone to injury we all make different

and run slightly differently too but

there are certain elements of your

running form that if you get them right

will make you less tired improve your

performance and end those heavy legs

where you strike the ground with your

foot matters if you're a heel Striker

it's time to change that apart from

putting the brakes on with every single

step you're putting much more pressure

and force through those legs by moving

to landing on your forefoot you're

propelling yourself forward with each

step and improving your biomechanics and

your legs are going to feel better after

you run if you're looking at the ground

when you run stop keep your chest up and

forward think of it as running with a

long tailbone this is going to get you

running more efficient and require less

effort how strong are your feet if your

feet can't absorb Force when you're

running the rest of your leg has to take

the line share of that impact improving

your overall foot strength with

exercises like tow pickup Cs and calf

raises will take the stress away from

the rest of the leg and make them feel

less Heavy after you run how you move

your arms when you run has an impact on

the rest of your body and how that moves

too imagine you're holding a rope in

each hand when you're running keep your

levers short to conserve energy and

don't be afraid to follow the natural

path of your arms as they twist slightly

also make sure your arms aren't crossing

the center line of your body when you

run this wastes energy and means you'll

be working harder than you need to

another reason could be that you're

doing too much weight training an

important quality in all Fast Runners is

strength your body needs to be strong

enough to transfer Force through your

body so that you can run faster with

more efficiency but you don't want to

overdo things in the weight room though

from our experience chasing PBS and

lifting too heavy in the weight room

will make you a slower Runner if you can

squat 1.5 times your body weight

deadlift 1.75 times your body weight and

press up your body weight for 10 to 20

reps you have plenty enough strength for

running we've ever done it in the

weights room before and it will make

your muscle sore tired and running a lot

harder so how should you be strength

training as a runner the amount of

training that you need to do depends on

your age your Fitness level what you can

tolerate where you are in your running

seasons and many other factors it's why

every single one of our running clients

gets a unique periodized training

program that is personal to them and

them alone but here are some general

guidelines to follow when it comes to

strength training as a runner do your

weight sessions on different days to

your runs if you can't do this make sure

that you run first and then do weights

after we found that this doesn't take

anything away from your run performances

but it will if you do your weights first

and then you run after you should also 2

to 3 days between each weight training

session in our experience we've found

somewhere between 24 to 72 hours is

enough time to recover for your next

weight session also only do two to three

weight sessions a week with the right

program this is the most amount of

strength conditioning Runners will need

we only ever do two or three weight

sessions a week depending on where we

are in our running season we love to

push ourselves when we run the

endorphins kicking and let's face it

it's a great way to come off a busy

stressful day but if you run every run

or do every workout 100% you're soon

going to notice the signs of over

training if your running performance is

declining you find yourself feeling

constantly tired and every run feels

hard injuries are starting to happen and

you becoming more prone to colds and

bugs than the chances are you're

overtraining firstly give yourself a

break for at least a few days and see if

those signs of overtraining start to

subside if they do you've identified the

problem the long-term solution is to add

D loads into your training plan we

schedu in D Lo weeks for our clients

every 4 weeks this gives our clients

time to recover from intense training

and adapt and become Stronger Faster

Runners DS involve dropping intensity

and volume in your runs and workouts

this could be running for 10 minutes

Less on a DLo week and easing off the

pace in the gym this could be doing one

less set with less weight wearing the

wrong shoes can make your legs feel

heavy too you need shoes that suit your

pronation neutral and super nating

Runners should get a neutral running

shoe and over pronating Runners should

get a stability shoe but how do you know

which type of pronation you are go to

your local running store and have them

analyze your Gat then you can come and

select a pair of running shoes that

match your pro Nation you can also check

the wear on your current pair of running

shoes neutral Runners have wear on the

middle of their shoe super nating

Runners have wear on the outside of

their shoe and over pronating Runners

have wear on the inside of their shoe we

recommend having a more cushion pair of

trainers to train week in week out and a

lighter pair that you can save for race

days or your next Park room and also

remember to replace your run shoes every

3 to 500 Miles we've actually made a

video on our Channel showing you in

detail what shoes you should get as a

runner so click here if you'd like to

watch that too are you eating enough

carbs fat fats and protein fuing your

body properly with all three is

imperative carbs are your body's

preferred energy source if you're not

eating enough carbs you'll have less

glycogen in your muscles and less energy

on your runs now make sure you're

getting your carbs from good quality

carbohydrates fruit and vegetables

should be top of your list make sure you

aren't running on an empty stomach

either and having enough carbs before

you run next fats the distance you're

running will determine how important

fats are in your diet think of fat as

putting a log on a fire as opposed to a

bit of newspaper F Burns for a long time

and gives you energy over a longer

period of time if you're a runner doing

10ks or higher fat consumption will be

more important keep it healthy and

balanced with foods like nuts avocados

fish and eggs somewhere between 20 to

35% of your daily calories should be

from fat now thirdly is protein protein

helps your muscles to repair recover and

rebuild if you're not getting enough

protein in your diet right now it could

explain that heavy legs feeling

Unstoppable our aim is for all our

clients to hit at least 1.6 g of protein

per kilo of the body weight per day this

is enough protein to help your muscles

repair recover and rebuild eat protein

with every meal between 20 to 40 gam

spreading your intake throughout the day

improves the effectiveness in your

recovery take advantage of the 30-minute

window after exercise and get a protein

shake in this is when your muscle

protein synthesis is at its highest so

that's it for part one of dealing with

heavy legs when running click here for

part two