The hidden enemy of every runner: overuse
Running is one of the most popular sports worldwide. Yet it is also one of the disciplines most prone to injury: up to 50% of runners experience at least one injury every year. What is the culprit? Not an accident or a misstep, but the insidious power of overuse. Injuries to Achilles tendons, patellar tendons, or shins are often the result of training peaks that come too quickly. The consequence: weeks or months of recovery, frustration, and in the worst case, definitively dropping out of the intended goal.
Scientific evidence: one monster-run can make all the difference. Recent research involving 5,205 runners over 18 months (Frandsen et al., 2023) clearly illustrated this. The risk of injury increases significantly when a single training session deviates sharply from the normal load:
- + 64% higher injury risk if a training session is >10% longer than the longest run in the past month
- + 128% for extreme peaks (>100% longer)
So it's not just about the total volume per week or month. One “monster-run” can be enough to trigger a chain reaction of microtrauma.
Why tendons are so vulnerable
Muscles adapt relatively quickly through new protein synthesis. Tendons and ligaments, however, are slower in their recovery. The collagen fibers that make these structures strong are renewed less quickly.
Repeated peak loads cause micro-tears. When recovery and adaptation fall behind, damage accumulates and discomfort turns into an injury.
