Spinal loading happens with activities like: weight training or running. What are the consequences? What recommendations can be made?Spinal loading can produce a shrinkage of the spine during weight training and running regimes. How much stature can you loose if you perform this activities? How can you prevent a high loading? Spinal loading occurs in a range of sporting activities, not only the ones mentioned before. When younger, I wanted to grow as much as possible, now I don't want to shrink! Does it happen to you?? Let's find out some interesting stuff! The cause of back pain is often insidious, the most common causal factor is that discs fail to work as usual. Because the central part of the disc and the epiphyseal plates are not innervated they may be injured without pain. Many actions can load the vertebral column, some are: + Gravity. + Changes in motion. + Truncal muscle activity. + External forces. + External work. Many or all of the above factors may be present during exercise. If there is too much compression, and this is higher than the osmotic pressure between the tissues of the disc, water is exuded through the disc wall. The result is a loss of disc height and then of course, a loss of stature.
Circuit weight training exercise stimulates the cardiovascular system but it may produce harm to the spine depending on the type of loadings. Dynamic loadings may produce greater losses of stature than static ones. During running, a force equivalent to 2000 Newtons is generated in the point of the heel, transmitting a significant loading for the spine which may increase in magnitude with factors like: total distance covered, experience of the runner, intensity of the activity and speed. In a study published by the British Journal of Sports and Medicine in 1986, weight training and running regimes where researched to find the amount of height lost. On average, the weight training took 25 min. and it resulted in a height loss of 5.4 mm (+/- 1.7)mm. During a 6 km run, the mean height loss of novices was 3.25 mm and 2.35 mm for the trained individuals. If the run was 19 km the shrinkage reported was 7.8 mm. If running a marathon, the predicted height loss is about 17 mm. As reported also in the same study: In a vertical plane the cartilage in joints and soft tissues covering the head and the soles of the feet may all be compressible. However, the total height of the intrajoint cartilage is small and the degree of compression is thought to be negligible. Tissue on the soles of the feet is likely to compress on standing but reaches an equilibrium quickly so that is unlikely to affect results. Spinal loading is more pronounced during weight training dynamic exercises. In the case of running, the findings suggested that skill or economy during running may not serve to attenuate the spinal loading.
RecommendationsSome factors may produce best results against the loading of the vertebral column: + Selection of appropiate running shoes or for weight lifting. + Selection of appropiate surfaces. + Timing is also important. The spine seems to be more vulnerable to injury in the evening, so it is more recommended to practice your activity during the morning. If you learn to perform the activity you like, it is certain that you will reduce the risks for your health and will enjoy all the benefits from keeping active. Spinal loading is only one type of harm that exercise may produce, find about prevention Injuries are a possible issue of exercising, learn about them and avoid harm Weight training is a good activity for cardiovascular health and more Find more articles about fitness for all stages of life Return to Lifetime Fitness Nutrition Homepage New! CommentsHave your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
