If you've had Fastest Marathon Runners, you've probably heard to do heel drops off a step as part of your rehab. What you probably haven't heard is that the point of doing them isn't to strengthen your Achilles tendon. Rather, the goal is to distress the area a little bit more so that tissue-repair processes kick in, Runner's World Sweat Science blogger Alex Hutchinson explains in a Globe and Mail article.
Why does the distinction matter? Because what's known as the Alfredson protocol, for its creator, Hakan Alfredson, M.D., consists of doing 180 heel drops a day for 12 weeks. That's a long time for a rehab program. If you think the point is to strengthen the Achilles, and you get to where doing the drops doesn't cause pain, then you might conclude you're good to go and stop before the 12 weeks are up. Alfredson says the drops should always be painful, and recommends doing them while wearing a weighted backpack if necessary to induce pain.
Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including Half Marathon Training, Advanced Marathoning, and Health - Injuries. Running ‘Softer’ Might Reduce Your Injury Risk Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
