16 How the body adapts - what to expect as you get fitter
Description
This article is from the running Beginners' FAQ, by Ozzie Gontang with numerous contributions by others.
16 How the body adapts - what to expect as you get fitter
As you stress your body, it reacts to make the stressed systems stronger.
This is sometimes called the "training effect". Once you begin running it
will strengthen your heart and leg muscles, and increase the number of
small blood-vessels within them. You will get better at moving oxygen to
your muscles, and at getting rid of the waste products of muscle activity.
You should cease to be so breathless when running. Over time your resting
pulse may drop. Altogether, your body should adapt to make running easier
and to allow you to run further.
Unfortunately, your muscles adapt faster than your bones and connective
tissues, so just as you find you can run faster and further, you become
liable to injuries. (See "* 17 Possible injuries for a beginner"). Injuries
tend to strike beginners after 8-12 weeks, so it is a good idea to slow
down your progression at this point to let your skeleton catch up.
Noakes observes that there is a dramatic increase in performance after 20
weeks.
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