Logan Steele
Running is a great way to get your heart rate up and your blood pumping. It is a whole-body workout that targets several muscle groups, especially in the lower body. These include the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and hip flexors. The abdominal muscles are also engaged to provide stability and balance. The degree of muscle engagement depends on factors such as speed and terrain, with faster paces and uphill running requiring more effort from certain muscle groups. Understanding which muscles are targeted during running can help improve form, technique, and performance, as well as prevent injuries.
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What You'll Learn
Gluteal muscles help propel you forward and maintain stability
The gluteal muscles, or simply your buttocks, are the largest muscle group in the body. They are responsible for hip extension, which propels the body forward with each stride and promotes a powerful stride. The gluteus maximus is the largest and most powerful of the three gluteal muscles, and it is crucial for extending the hip joint. The gluteus medius and minimus contribute significantly to stability and balance during running.
The gluteal muscles work together to extend the hip and propel the body forward, promoting a powerful stride. They also support the femur and prevent the knee from caving inwards when the foot strikes the ground. Weak glutes can cause compensations and malalignments at the hip, knee, ankle, or foot during a normal running stride. This can lead to injuries and pain.
To prevent this, it is important to incorporate gluteal-strengthening exercises into your weekly exercise program. By strengthening the glutes, you can optimize proper running form, increase stability, and reduce the chance of injury. Glute activation exercises should be a part of any runner's weekly strength and conditioning schedule, helping to add power to your stride while reducing the risk of muscle imbalances, tightness, pain, or injury.
Some simple glute activation exercises include:
- Lying on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, lift your hips so they are in line with your knees and shoulders, and hold for 15 seconds.
- Lying on your front and bending your knee to 90 degrees, lift your leg without bending your knee further, using your glute as the prime mover.
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Quadriceps help bend the hip and straighten the knee
The quadriceps femoris, or quadriceps, is a group of four muscles located at the front of the thigh. They unite proximal to the knee and attach to the kneecap via the quadriceps tendon. The quadriceps tendon, in turn, attaches the kneecap to the tibia. The four muscles that make up the quadriceps are the rectus femoris and the three vastus muscles: vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and vastus medialis.
The quadriceps are the only muscles that cross both the hip and knee joints. They help bend the hip when you lift your knee and straighten the knee when your foot strikes the ground. They also help stabilize the knee by holding the patella inside a groove in the femur, or thigh bone.
The quadriceps are heavily engaged during sprinting and uphill or downhill running, as these activities require greater knee drive and control. Downhill running is particularly demanding for the quadriceps, as they have to perform strong eccentric contractions to help control your speed and prevent you from falling.
To strengthen the quadriceps, exercises such as lunges, seated leg presses, and seated leg extensions can be performed. It is important to properly warm up and stretch before exercising to encourage blood flow to the area and prevent injuries.
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Hamstrings are responsible for hip extension and knee flexion
Running is a whole-body workout, but it primarily targets the core and lower body muscles. The hamstrings are located on the back of the thigh, between the hips and knees, and are responsible for hip extension and knee flexion.
The hamstrings are made up of three muscles: the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. These muscles work together to bend the knee and pull the leg backward, and their main responsibility is force production in the push-off phase of the stride. Strong hamstrings are essential for sprinting and running faster.
The hamstrings' role in hip extension and knee flexion can be observed in exercises such as leg curls or Nordic hamstring exercises. During these exercises, the hamstrings operate at shorter than optimal lengths as the knee rotates from 90 degrees to 45 degrees, reaching their maximum as the knee moves from 45 degrees to 0 degrees. The hamstring muscles are more involved in knee flexion than in hip extension, with the semitendinosus showing significantly greater T2 increase values in knee flexion exercises.
The anatomical features of the hamstring muscles impact their function. The length of each hamstring muscle is influenced by the positions of the hip and knee joints, and studies have shown that isometric hip extension and knee flexion forces increase as the lengths of the hamstring muscles are lengthened by flexing the hip and/or extending the knee. Additionally, the medial hamstrings (semitendinosus and semimembranosus) and lateral hamstrings (biceps femoris) have different functions in tibial rotation. The medial hamstrings assist with tibial internal rotation, while the lateral hamstrings assist with tibial external rotation.
To target and strengthen the hamstrings, exercises such as Bulgarian split squats and good mornings are recommended. Keeping the hamstrings strong and flexible is crucial for running efficiency and injury prevention.
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Hip flexors help with pelvic and spinal stabilisation
Running is a whole-body workout, but it primarily targets the core and lower-body muscles. These include the hip flexors, which are a group of muscles located at the front of the hips, right above the thighs. They connect the thighbone to the low back, hips, and groin.
The hip flexors help with pelvic and spinal stabilisation. They are responsible for flexing the hip, or bringing the leg upward toward the body. The primary hip flexors are the psoas major and the iliacus, which, collectively, are often called the iliopsoas. The psoas originates from the lower vertebrae of the spine, while the iliacus originates from the inside bowl of the pelvis. They meet and insert at the top of the femur, or upper leg bone. The psoas minor is a normal variant present in approximately 60% of people.
The iliopsoas works to stabilise the trunk during activities such as lifting, pushing, and pulling. It also draws the knees toward the chest, for example, when swinging a leg forward while running or kicking a ball. The iliopsoas is the body's most important hip flexor, and it is essential for mobility and movement.
Tight hip flexors can cause lower back pain, hip pain, and injury. They can also compromise the action of the glutes, leading to compensation in other areas and potential injury. This can be caused by sitting for long periods, which shortens and tightens the hip flexor muscles. To prevent this, it is important to stretch the hip flexors and maintain their strength and flexibility.
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Calf muscles are involved in extending and flexing the foot
Running is a whole-body workout, but it primarily targets the core and lower body muscles. The calf muscles are located at the back of the lower leg, starting below the knee and extending to the ankle. They are responsible for extending and flexing the foot, which is essential for running.
The calf muscle is made up of three muscles: the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris. The gastrocnemius is one of the main muscles involved in plantar flexion, which is the movement that occurs when the foot pushes off the ground during running. It also helps with ankle rotation and knee "lock". The soleus muscle also plays a major role in plantar flexion, as it connects to the Achilles tendon and helps to push the foot away from the ground. The plantaris muscle is long and thin, running along the back of the leg and connecting to the Achilles tendon. It works with the Achilles tendon to flex the ankle and knee.
The calf muscles are essential for running as they help to propel the body forward with each step. They also help to reduce the impact of landing, improving balance and ankle mobility. This is why calf muscles are commonly targeted by runners to improve performance and prevent injuries.
It is important to keep the calf muscles flexible and strong through exercises and stretches. This can help prevent common injuries such as muscle strains, cramps, and spasms. Foot stretches and pointing and flexing exercises can help to relieve arch cramps, heel pain, and chronic foot pain. Additionally, strengthening the muscles that support plantar flexion can improve foot flexibility, protect the ankle, and prevent injuries.
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Frequently asked questions
Running is a whole-body workout, but you primarily use your core and lower-body muscles. The muscles targeted include the hip flexors, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.
A strong core helps to maintain proper posture, balance, and form while running. It can also help to properly align your spine, pelvis, and lower body.
Bulgarian split squats and good mornings are great exercises to strengthen your hamstrings.
