Run More to Hurt Less?

According to a recent article in Active, multiple studies show that among two groups of runners, the group that ran more got injured less. The research subjects range from marathon runners to high school cross country team members. The story also claims that strength-training does not prevent running injuries, citing research performed at the University of Groningen, in 2012. That study, which compared a group of novice runners who participated in a four-week program "designed to reduce injury risk" before beginning a running program to a group that just ran, showed equal injury rates in each group.

I am skeptical that these findings can be applied to seasoned and elite runners, however. My main source of doubt is that none of the four studies mentioned in the article described their populations as elite or highly trained runners. Additionally, I, who have flirted with elitism in the 5K thanks to an 18:40 cross country PR, have acquired nearly all of my running injuries at times when I was running my most mileage per week and doing very little, if any, strength-training.

The article is interesting nonetheless. Check it out at the following address:

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/A-Surprising-Way-to-Reduce-Your-Risk-of-Running-Injuries.htm?cmp=291&memberid=117160840&lyrisid=44383478