How Women Run

When it comes to running, women are built differently to men – beyond the obvious. Our curvaceous hips and female hormones are just two of the things that define us. But what can the latest research tell us about the effect our physiology has on our running?

- Dr Phatho Zondi & Dr Janine Gray

Injury Prevention

THE OOH AND OUCH!

Injury in women runners has long been blamed on the fact that women have wider hips than men, due to their naturally wider pelvises. But according to Dr Janine Gray, more recent studies have shown that injuries such as knee pain and ITB are associated with poor movement patterns, usually caused by muscle weaknesses. For instance, research has found that women with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS, a broad term used to describe knee pain) have increased inward movement of the hip and decreased activation of the glute medius, a muscle in your butt that is responsible for stabilising your pelvis and ensuring your hip doesn’t drop on one side.

According to Gray, the claim that running causes osteoarthritis (OA) is another myth – at least, for most runners.

“For the recreational athlete, in general, running is brilliant for the reduction of OA,” she says.

“The reality is that in recreational runners, we see only about a 3% incidence in hip and knee OA, compared to 10.2% in non-runners.

“ However, if you’re a competitive runner who has increased the volume of your workload, you’re also going to increase the number of forces absorbed by your joints from the ground, which could lead to OA.

“That’s why you need to do strength and conditioning, to make sure you’re strong enough to withstand the impact of running.”

Knees

“The top injury site in both men and women runners is the knee,” says Gray. “But while the region is the same, the type of injury is different.