YOUR EXPERT
Gabriella Pimentel is a lower limb musculoskeletal specialist at Pure Sports Medicine. She has worked with England national football teams and Olympic gymnasts. She plays football and runs half marathons in her spare time to keep fit. puresportsmed.com
Meaning ‘four heads’ in Latin, the quadriceps femoris is a quartet of muscles on the front of the thigh, which are crucial for both a good running gait and protecting your knees from injury
Anatomy
Anatomically, the quads originate from the front of the hip and parts of the thigh bone and insert via a common tendon into the knee cap (patella). The patella tendon then attaches the knee cap to the top of your shin. Commonly known as the ‘extensor group’, the main function of the quads is to extend/straighten the knee, with one of the muscles (rectus femoris) having a dual function in assisting with hip flexion. Both movements are key to running!
The sequence of events that occur when we walk or run is known as the gait cycle, categorised into the stance and swing phase of the legs. Due to location and function, the quads straighten the knee as you swing your leg forward to take another step. They also have a strong role in preventing the knee from collapsing, as they control how you absorb the impact when your foot hits the ground. Working closely with the hamstrings, gluteals and calf muscles the quadriceps help the leg strongly push off as you prepare to take another step. Having strong quadriceps allows for strong propulsion, but also protects important joints such as the knee, from injury.
Strengthening exercises
There are different ways to strengthen the quads, functionally or non-functionally. In other words, exercises that replicate quadriceps activation in a way that is similar to running, or ones that are simply to use the quads and get them stronger. For running, it’s important to strengthen the quads alongside other muscles such as the hamstrings, gluteals and calves.
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Dec 2019
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