Beach Running Anyone?

I have patients who get impact associated injuries like shin splints or stress fractures all the time. it's probably the most common running injury we see in our clinics along with knee pain.

Other than deep water running which has no impact, I often suggest going to the beach to get them running again.

Have you tried running on the beach? Research shows that running on sand requires 1.6 times more energy expenditure than running on a firm surface. Try it to believe it. Due to the change in technique you require as well as balancing on the sand, the stabilizing muscles in your hips, knees and ankle are working much harder.

Soft sand is particularly difficult while hard or packed sand (near the edge of the water) is definitely easier to run on. It definitely works different muscles (compared to running on the road) and it requires more focus so you don't sprain your ankle due to the uneven surface and constantly shifting ground.

In fact, while combating the "slip" element, range of motion of joint angles around the hip, knee and ankle were found to similar to running during faster speeds on firm ground (Binnie et al, 2013). That translates to a much higher heart rate, increasing your oxygen debt and blood lactate levels. Meaning you get fitter, stronger and faster quicker.

So incorporating sand running into your training can definitely help improve your race times.

Another article found that soft sandy surfaces reduced muscle soreness and fatigue (Binnie et al, 2014) due to almost four times less impact versus a firmer surface. Because of the softer surface, there's also less stress on our joints which can lessen impact and helps prevent injuries.

When running on firm ground, less of the elastic energy which is stored in our tendons is absorbed, so you don't have to work as hard. When running on sand, it absorbs the forces, meaning you have to generate more forces with your muscles to run.

Researchers found that there was almost four times less impact forces on soft sand compared to firm ground with every single foot strike. This is really good if you need to reduce load through the legs but still want to get in a hard workout when you run. 

Research also suggest that runners who ran on the beach (especially on soft dry sand found farther away from the water) had less muscle damage and inflammation compared to running on grass (Brown et al, 2017).

Due to where I stay, I hardly get to run barefoot on the beach. When I do, which is often during our family's holiday trips, I always start much slower than my usual runs. I also do not worry about the time or distance that I clock. In fact, I often do some short hard sprints (because of the lower impact) to get my heart rate up even higher.

Hearing the waves crash also helps to calm and clear my mind, which is a nice bonus.


References

Binnie MJ, Dawson B et al (2014). Effect Of Sand Versus Grass Training Surfaces During An 8-week Pre-season Conditioning Programme In Team Sport Athletes. Eur J Sp Sci. 32(14): 1001-1012. DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2013.879333.

Binnie MJ, Peeling P et al (2013). Effect Of Surface-specific Training On 20-m Sprint Performance On Sand And Grass Surfaces. J Strength Cond Research. 27(12): 3315-3520. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31828f043f.

Brown H, Dawson B et al (2017). Sand Training: Exercise-induced Muscle Damage And Inflammatory Responses To Matched Intensity Exercise. Eur J Sp Sci. 17(6): 741-747. DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2017.1304998

Lejeune TM et al (1998). Mechanics And Energetics Of Human Locomotion On Sand. J Expt Biol. 201: 2071-2018.