Running in the cold: tips to prevent calf injuries

  • Marketing Herzog

During the cold and dark winter months, when the holidays are over and spring still seems a long way off, the motivation to keep running can be severely impacted. Yet, it's important to keep moving. Running stimulates the production of endorphins, which helps fight the winter blues and maintains your fitness. However, training in the cold does require extra attention to your body.

Because unfortunately, in this cold season, there is an increased risk lurking for runners:
 Namely, aches and pains in your calves, such as a tingling sensation or extra tension in your muscles. And as if that weren't enough, this season also often brings on that sudden, intense pain in your calf: a real Coup de Fouet, or whiplash. You immediately know you'll be out of commission for a few weeks.

 Even the mildest form, like a strain or cramp, can easily sideline you for a few days. What starts as stiff calves can slowly develop into a full-blown calf tear, sidelining you for weeks.

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The causes of calf muscle injuries

The causes of calf muscle injuries can vary considerably. However, muscle injuries often occur due to a lack of warm-up, lack of practice, or sudden excessive strain on muscles that are actually still too cold and not yet sufficiently supplied with blood. These causes can be prevented with proper preparation before exercising. Consider:

  • Always warm up,
  • Good dosed training,
  • Avoiding very high muscle loads at the start of training or a competition.

Unfortunately, many runners have resigned themselves to the fact that muscle injuries can occur from time to time. However, in addition to the measures mentioned, there are more things you can do to minimize the risk of a muscle injury.

Why cold increases the risk of calf injuries

In cold weather, temperature plays a significant additional role. Low outdoor temperatures cause muscles to warm up more slowly, feel stiffer, and react more slowly to stress. Blood flow to the calf muscles is slower, making muscle fibers less elastic and more susceptible to strain or tearing. This significantly increases the risk of a calf injury, especially during a cold start or sudden acceleration.

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How do muscle injuries occur?

The calf muscles in particular have to endure a lot due to the impact when landing (three times body weight), but certainly also due to explosive activities such as jumping and a sudden sprint. These muscles are quite robust, weighing as much as 1 ½ to 2 ½ kg of muscle mass per leg. When they contract, a tremendous lateral force is released on muscle fibers. As if that weren't enough, that strong muscle mass is also shaken back and forth, often resulting in muscle damage.

How do you prevent muscle injuries?

The answer is very simple: wrap the muscle properly with a sock that provides sufficient counter pressure and has an optimal pressure gradient. The forces on muscles and tendons are adequately absorbed and neutralized. The shock load and lateral movement will therefore be significantly reduced, reducing the risk of injury.

Herzog Medical has recognized this problem for many years and has provided a unique solution: the Herzog Sports Compression Socks. Many experiments and scientifically based tests have led to a perfect compression sock that can prevent injuries in many cases. The sock is also used in treatment by many physiotherapists, podiatrists and sports masseurs.

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Stay injury free with Herzog

The secret of the Herzog socks lies in the relatively high compression of up to 30mmHg at ankle level and a correctly dosed, decreasing pressure to 23mmHg below the knee. This varying pressure ensures that the venous blood with waste products is quickly and efficiently drained to the heart and that the calf muscle is tightly wrapped, so that lateral forces are absorbed and the shaking and shock load is largely eliminated. What is also unique is that the pressure is fully tailored to the individual leg shape. Herzog Medical uses a special measuring system in which the leg is measured at 6 points. As an athlete you are always guaranteed a perfect fit.

Recover with Herzog socks

If you want to significantly reduce the risk of muscle injuries, but also of sore and tense muscles after a competition or training, it is a 'must' to wear the Herzog Compression Socks during the activity, but also for a few hours afterwards. The care you pay to your tired muscles also means that the next training session is also possible faster due to faster recovery.

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