Are "Sleepy Glutes" with Running a Thing?

Coach Liz activating the mechanoreceptors of her glutes with a smack on the butt!

What is this episode about?

Coaches Amy and Liz discuss the overdiagnosed condition in runners known as "sleepy glutes." They explore what causes sleepy glutes and how to wake them up.

Strong, healthy glutes are essential for running; they are the primary driver and power source. Yet, despite their good health and adequate strength, they sometimes fail to perform.

What are sleepy glutes?

But what are sleepy glutes? Sleepy glutes are not equivalent to weak glutes. Sleepy glutes are due to a poor neuromuscular connection between the brain and the muscles and poor patterning or timing. Strength is wasted if a glute isn’t activating.

A correct diagnosis of your injury and an assessment of your running form is important.

Digging into the real source of the problem is important. Sleepy glute syndrome is often overdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. When it is a problem, it can manifest in various injuries. Your injury and its treatment should be individual to you.

What muscles are involved in sleepy glute syndrome?

We focus on the big gluteus maximus and its function in pushing the ground away behind you during the push-off phase of the running gait, particularly the neuromuscular connection and movement pattern involved in pushing the ground away behind you. The other glute muscles are important, too, but we are keeping it simple.

Sketch by Coach Amy of the big gluteus maximus (in red).

How to activate your glutes when running

Check out this blog post from Coach Amy: How to Fire Up Your Glutes.

Activation of mechanoreceptors can help switch the glute back on! In other words, smack your butt into action.

Running power relies on several factors.

Push-off power relies on many things, including a stable pelvis and foot. Assuming the whole chain is functioning and working, not just a turned-on glute.

Patterning and timing are also important. We introduce the topic of preactivation, which we will dive into in a future podcast! But for now, pre-activation of glutes + hamstrings + big toe = power with push-off

This week’s dose of funny and stranger things

Liz and Amy share the joys of getting out of a workout you don’t want to do, thanks to mother nature!