Leg Drains?

paigeypoo

posted: 6/18/2007 at 4:43 PM
modified: 6/18/2007 at 5:54 PM

My sister's cross country coach has them do something called "leg drains" after their runs. He has them lay on their backs with their legs against a wall, perpendicular to the ground, for about 5 minutes. Then he has them drink a whole bottle of water. He tells them that by doing this they're "draining" the lactic acid from their muscles. The purpose is, supposedly, to prevent your legs from hurting on the next run. Anybody ever heard of this? Does it sound like something that actually works? I have a feeling its more of a psychological thing, but what do you think?

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Runnergabe

Breaking all Illusions

posted: 6/18/2007 at 6:30 PM

I found it feels good after a Half marathon or Full marathon. It doesn't drain the lactic acid from the legs ... it just helps with the venous blood return from your legs. After a long race blood wants to pool in the legs. That gives that heavy, swollen feeling. That's what I know about that ...

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lasdinaub

posted: 6/18/2007 at 7:18 PM

I've been doing this after my marathons, for about 10 minutes, and it seems to help. This was 1 of the "tricks of the trade" that an ultrarunner gave us at a presentation several months ago.

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Fanatic #3965

posted: 6/18/2007 at 8:27 PM

Huh...that sounds cool! I think I may try that after my next race, just to see what it feels like. k

Kirsten

'07: 1324.5 | '08: 1561 | '09: 1810.9 run ~ 208.7 bike | '10: 1,000.3 run ~ 3513.5 bike | '11: 710.3 run ~ 4157.9 bike '12: 659.9 run ~ 3365.6 bike (100% benched by ortho last 4.5 weeks while in long-arm cast)

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Trent

posted: 6/18/2007 at 9:30 PM

Quote from Runnergabe on 6/18/2007 at 6:30 PM:

It doesn't drain the lactic acid from the legs ... it just helps with the venous blood return from your legs.

Correcto. And there is not good evidence that lactic acid, per se, does anything bad at all.

I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.

Poor baby

Eddy

Slow-smooth-fast

posted: 6/19/2007 at 6:51 AM

I now do this regularly after a long run, as I read it in one of my latest purchases - MOST EXCELLENT BOOK "Chi Running". As previously stated it drains away the 'bad' blood and then replaces with fresh blood when you stand up again.

"I've been following Eddy's improvement over the last two years on this site, and it's been pretty dang solid. Sure the weekly mileage has been up and down, but over the long haul he's getting out the door and has turned himself into quite a runner. He's only now just figuring out his potential. Consistency in running is measured in years, not weeks. And over the last couple of years, Eddy's made great strides" Jeff 14 Jan 2009

Trent

posted: 6/19/2007 at 8:25 AM

(I had to giggle as I ran past a lot of folks wearing Chi Running shirts walking during my latest marathons...Chi-Walking? Wink

)

I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.

Poor baby

x-country_grl

posted: 6/19/2007 at 10:22 AM

OMG, I have never heard of that before. Confused

I'll have to try that after a long run or hil practice. Dead

Bonkin

posted: 6/19/2007 at 1:13 PM

Quote from Trent on 6/19/2007 at 8:25 AM:

(I had to giggle as I ran past a lot of folks wearing Chi Running shirts walking during my latest marathons...Chi-Walking? )

I'm Chi-Laughing!

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Mississippi

posted: 6/19/2007 at 1:26 PM

Hmmm. Interesting. Sounds like it would feel good after a long run. I'll have to try it. I think my feet would benefit from it the most.

Scout7

CPT Curmudgeon

posted: 6/19/2007 at 1:44 PM

We used to do that after longer, more intense practices when I was in HS XC. And yes, they do help to some extent or another.

jEfFgObLuE

More Cowbell!

posted: 6/19/2007 at 2:09 PM
modified: 6/19/2007 at 2:09 PM

The lactic acid part of this exercise is bunk, but I agree with the venous blood return thing. Probably just speeding up what happens naturally.

Quote from Trent on 6/18/2007 at 9:30 PM:

And there is not good evidence that lactic acid, per se, does anything bad at all.

Quite true. Lactic acid, or lactate, is a byproduct of the breakdown of glucose and glycogen via glycolysis. It builds up in high levels in your bloodstream during exercise as exertion increases, and can actually be used as an energy source, indirectly. The infamous "burn" comes from hydrogen ions, not lactate. When people talk about lactate threshold, or improving your lactate threshold, what is really meant by that is that you want to increase the running velocity at which lactate spills into your bloodstream faster than your body can utilize it.

When you're on your deathbed, you won't be wishing that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will be wishing that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

Leg Drains? (Read 6378 times)

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