The 10 percent rule is a popular concept among athletes and coaches, but it has not been backed up by research.
It suggests you should not increase your weekly exercise volume by more than ten percent. For example, if you run five miles per week, adding just two more miles would be an effective way to prevent injuries and overuse.
Ten Percent Rule is Used Frequently By Athletes
The 10 percent rule is used frequently by athletes and coaches to help prevent injuries. The rule says that an athlete should never train more than 90 percent of their maximum heart rate for more than ten minutes, or for more than 20 minutes per exercise session.
The benefits of using this rule are that it helps maximise the body's recovery from a heavy workout, decrease injury risk and allows the athlete to work out harder without overtraining.
Should you increase your weekly exercise volume by more than 10 percent?
According to the 10 percent rule, you should not increase your weekly exercise volume by more than ten percent. This means if you run for 60 minutes each week, you should not increase that to 70 minutes per week. The same goes for weightlifting or any other activity that puts strain on muscles, tendons and ligaments.
It's unclear why the 10 percent rule is so popular, as it hasn't been backed up by scientific evidence, and there are many who argue against it. In fact, one study says that there are two main factors that cause overuse injuries: training errors (excessive intensity) and anatomical risk factors (such as bone weakness).
While there may be a grain of truth in the idea of excessive exercise causing injury—after all, we do know that too much of anything can be bad. It's not something most people need to worry about in their daily lives if they're exercising safely and responsibly.
Should You Follow the 10 percent rule?
The 10 percent rule is a controversial subject in the sports medicine community. While some coaches and athletes swear by it, others say it's not backed up by research. So, what does science say about it?
According to one study, there's no evidence that training intensity should be limited to 10 percent of your maximum heart rate—and even if it was, that would be highly individualized.
There are two major problems in using the 10 percent rule as a hard and fast rule:
1) It's not really a rule at all.
2) How much you can push yourself depends on multiple factors like genetics, age and gender.
Is 10 Percent Rule Backed Up by Scientific Evidence?
The idea behind this concept is that if you are feeling pain and stiffness in your muscles or joints, you should take a break from strenuous activity until the pain subsides.
For example: If you have been exercising for several hours without any discomfort or pain during your workout session and notice tightness or swelling later on (the next day), chances are you've overdone it and need a few days of rest before starting back up again.
Most overuse injuries are related to training errors and equipment issues — not necessarily training volume increase — so you should take a larger look at causative factors. The 10 percent rule is a good rule, but when you look at it in more detail, there are some nuances that need to be kept in mind.
Overuse injuries can occur when an athlete continues to do the same motions over and over again without giving their body time to recover or adapt, leading to inflammation and pain in the joints.
Repetitive motions like typing on a computer or playing a musical instrument can also cause repetitive strain injury (RSI), which is basically an umbrella term for any type of condition resulting from repetitive use of muscles and joints.
RSI is one example of what medical professionals call 'non-traumatic biomechanical overload'—or biomechanical overload caused by long-term daily activities rather than sudden force trauma such as sports injury. It's estimated that up to 50% of all computer users experience some form of RSI symptoms in their lifetime.
Think twice before doing too much too soon
While the 10 percent rule may be an excellent place to start, it makes sense to think twice before doing too much too soon. Also, remember that this rule applies not only to your exercise volume but also training volume and intensity—and even how long you're training for each session.
Some experts think that injuries are preventable, while others believe they are just part of the game and cannot be avoided; that's why they're called 'overuse' injuries. Still, most overuse injuries are related to training errors (running too fast too much) or equipment issues (worn-out shoes).
The 10 percent rule makes sense to think twice before doing too much too soon, as some people are more vulnerable than others when it comes to developing an injury from overexertion or excessive practice. However, remember: What works for one person might not work for you.
Conclusion
The 10 percent rule is not based on any scientific evidence, but it’s still a helpful guideline for athletes and coaches who want to prevent overuse injuries.
It can help you avoid training errors and equipment issues that may cause an injury. However, if you experience pain or discomfort from increased exercise intensity or duration, stop exercising till your symptoms go away, and don’t try to push through thep ain.