Running burns more calories than any other mainstream exercise. But despite the fact that running has been proven to reduce your risk of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, type two diabetes and stroke, there has been a lot of debate around whether our bodies truly can adapt to running long distances, such as marathons. It is known that the heart and lungs can become stronger and more efficient to help propel you forward – but what about your muscles and tendons? Can they adapt to make the very act of running more efficient, too?
跑步比其他任何一项主流运动都更消耗卡路里。尽管事实上跑步已经被证明能够降低患慢性病的风险，例如心脏病、两种类型的糖尿病以及中风，对于我们的身体是否真的能适应长距离地跑步，例如马拉松，仍旧存在争论。我们知道，心脏和肺能变得更强大，推动你前进——但是肌腱呢？他们也能使跑步变得更有效率吗？
This 26.2 mile race got its name from the legend of Pheidippides, who ran slightly less than 26 miles from Marathon to Athens to announce the Athenian army’s victory over the Persians. Once poor Pheidippides arrived and proclaimed: “Rejoice, we conquer”, he is said to have fallen over dead. Could this simply have been the sorry result of his lack of long-distance training?
这项26.2英里的跑步比赛得名于斐里庇得斯的传说，他从马拉松到雅典跑了差不多26英里来宣布雅典军队战胜波斯的消息。当可怜的斐里庇得斯到达并一说完：“欢呼吧，我们赢了”之后，他就倒地而亡了。这能简单说成是他缺乏长距离训练的结果吗？
The medical community is still largely in the dark on how our bodies react to long-distance running, but new research shows that, for regular runners, the beneficial adaptations are substantial. Through adaptations that happen gradually as you run further and more often the tendons of the legs can be used more efficiently in propelling you forward, meaning your muscles don’t need to work as hard.
医学界很大程度上仍旧不知道我们的身体对长距离跑步作何反应，但是最新的研究表明，对于跑步规律的人来说，有益处的适应是实质性的。当你跑得更远、更频繁时，适应逐渐发生，腿部的筋能被更有效率地使用从而推动你向前，也意味着肌肉不需要工作得很辛苦。
And that’s not all. The benefits of these changes in muscle-tendon behaviour become more important at higher speeds. Because we need more energy to propel us forward at higher speeds, the advantage of efficient tendons becomes even greater the faster you go.
不仅仅如此。在更快速的跑步运动中，这种肌腱行为改变带来的益处更为重要。因为我们在更快速的跑步运动中需要更多的能量推动我们前进，有效的肌腱工作方式的益处在你跑得越快时作用越明显。
How we adapt
我们如何适应呢
We conducted a study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, at Liverpool John Moores University on two groups of runners with very different levels of training: one group consistently ran 30 or more miles per week and the other less than 10 miles per week. And we have been able to draw important conclusions about the changes that come with increased running training.
我们在利物浦约翰摩尔斯大学针对两组不同训练强度的跑步者实施了一项实验，结果发布在《应用心理学》杂志上：一组人持续每周跑三十或三十公里以上，另一组人每周跑低于十英里。我们从增加训练量带来的改变出发，获得了重要的结论。
We measured the firing patterns of thigh muscle groups and the knee joint motion of the runners using a combination of electromyography (EMG), 3D motion capture cameras, and a platform that measured the force during foot contact with the ground. The volunteers ran trials at four different speeds between five and 12 mph.
我们测量了实验者大腿肌群的放电模式，通过肌电图、三维运动捕捉相机和一种测量脚接触地面时力的平台三者合一研究膝关节运动。实验者在四种不同速度下的跑步试验从5到12英里每小时不等。
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