Most people probably associate running-related leg stress with muscles "burning" during fast running, muscle soreness in the days after a hard workout is over, or injuries localized to the hip, groin, knee, ankle, calves or hamstrings. It's not unusual, however, to experience a shaky sensation in the legs while you're running. The conditions that produce this phenomenon differ even if the shaky sensation is more or less the same in each case.
Too Much, Too Soon
One of the most obvious causes of any sort of leg distress such as pain, fatigue, trembling or burning in runners is simply overworking the lower limbs. If you are new to running and experiencing shaky legs on the go, you are either doing too much running for your fitness level or doing your allotment of miles at too quick a clip, both of which are common mistakes. Slow your pace down to a speed that lets you hold a normal conversation or drop your mileage by 25 percent the next week in order to let your body adapt to the stress.
Low Blood Glucose
Low blood glucose, termed hypoglycemia, does not ordinarily strike even the most avid exercisers with normal pancreatic function. It is common, however, in the millions of people with type I or type II diabetes, and running is a well-established trigger. Shaking is one of its hallmarks, as are nervousness, sweating and confusion. According the University of Iowa, not eating enough or taking too much insulin or both predispose runners to hypoglycemia and the shaky limbs that accompany it. Non-diabetics can occasionally experience this condition as well, so ensure that your are adequately fueled before you dash out the door.
Long Runs
You might be among the many runners training for a marathon. In this case, you probably do one run a week that is significantly longer than any of the others. While such efforts are necessary to prepare you for the 26.2-mile marathon, they put you at risk for glycogen depletion and attendant muscle exhaustion, which can lead to a host of unsavory signs and symptoms -- among them shaky legs. Don't ramp up to extremely long runs too quickly and always stay well-fueled and well-hydrated.
Running Uphill
Running uphill, and in particular doing the fast hill repeats up a steep incline characteristic of training for football and other sports, introduces an unusual level of fatigue to runners' legs. The calves and butt muscles contract more forcefully, and the quadriceps must draw the thighs higher than on flat ground to account for the grade. The combination of these factors, combined with the fact that you might intentionally run hills especially hard, could leave you with shaky legs as every muscle group -- anterior, posterior, high and low -- reaches exhaustion. If you feel shakiness coming on, it's time to stop the workout.
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