Running: Trail, road or treadmill?

Posted on 9 November 2016

Running is one of the oldest cardio exercises known to humans, but we often don’t get it right. We checked research about trail, road and treadmill running, and asked Dr Jason Suter, a sports medicine subspecialist at Mediclinic Constantiaberg Sports Medicine Centre to deliver a verdict on which is best.

Injury risk for different types of running

Trail: ‘Because trail running is on uneven surfaces, it’s actually kinder on the body,’ says Dr Suter. ‘It’s less repetitive and has less potential for overuse injuries than road running or treadmill running. It does, however, carry a higher risk of acute, traumatic injuries caused by tripping or falling.’ So while you won’t necessarily suffer from runner’s knee, you might pick up the odd rolled ankle, grazed knee or stubbed toe.

Road: Runner’s knee, shin splints, iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) – the list of common road running injuries is as long and hard as the Comrades Marathon. The trick is not to overdo it, as overuse causes most road running related injuries.

Treadmill: You’re far less likely to trip and fall off a treadmill than on a trail, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe from injury. In fact, the opposite is true: treadmill running narrows your gait, puts extra strain on your calves and hamstrings, and increases your risk of repetitive strain injuries.

Verdict

‘There’s no scientific study on injury rate between these three forms of running,’ says Dr Suter. ‘But from a medical point of view – and from an anecdotal point of view – I have found that the worst of the three is treadmill running.

‘In my opinion, trail running is best for you, followed by road running, then treadmill. And the reason I put the treadmill last is because of the repetition, the narrowing of your gait and what it does to your biomechanics. On a treadmill you’ll run more from your calves and hamstrings, because of the lack of full stride length.’