Lower back pain is said to affect up to 80% of the population at some point in their lives. In other words, it’s very common in the general population and it’s very common at Custom Performance!

Does changing your foot strike pattern really matter? Barefoot running has been getting a lot of attention the past few years as a way to decrease running injuries. 

Triathlon season is upon us and one of the biggest decisions a triathlete has to make is related to finding the right wetsuit.  Wetsuits can provide buoyancy and make you more streamline, especially if you are not a strong swimmer but a poor fitting wetsuit can actually put you at a disadvantage.

I don’t think anyone has ever said “Man, I love hill repeats,” unless you're a little crazy already. Most coaches will throw a hill workout into a normal routine every so often to spice things up, but for what purpose? Why is coach making us do this? Hills are terrible! 

Summer is here! Temperatures are rising and training will soon be ramping up as the fall marathon season is right around the corner. An important part of getting to the starting line healthy will be to manage the balance between sweat loss and fluid intake. Sounds easy, right?  Run. Get thirsty. Drink. Repeat. If this is you, it might be time to rethink the way you drink.

As soon as a PT takes out Graston tools, a patient's first reaction is, "What is that?" Most people think Graston is a new technique but has actually been around for thousands of years.

"Carbo loading". A favorite expression of runners from all walks of life. We all know we need carbs, how to properly take them in is a little trickier, In order for our bodies to work optimally, we need to take in the same amount of energy that we just burned off.

What do you LDLs and HDLs really do? We hear so much in the media about good and bad cholesterol, but do you really know what the hype is about and and how to apply it to your daily life? LDLs are considered the bad guys because they are the main form of cholesterol that causes blockage in the arteries. The job of the HDLs is to transport cholesterol to the liver to be broken down. HDLs also help to prevent plaque build-up and inflammation.

As a runner you have most likely experienced aches, pains or injuries. Some of the most common injuries are muscle strains and ligaments sprains. Although these are the most serious of injuries, they do need to be taken care of in order to prevent further tissue damage or re-injury. When you encounter a muscle strain or ligament sprain, be prepared with some basic tips to help you recover faster. 

We all know weight training is an important aspect of a runners life (whether we want to admit it or not) and most runners are familiar it's the terms "concentric and eccentric", these are the two ways muscles work.  Concentric means you are getting strength from shortening the muscle while eccentric is strength from elongating the muscle.  Even though they sound opposite, they actually work together to create movement.  Most running experts emphasize eccentric control however they are both very important.