Why do long distance runners sometimes develop black toenails?
When toenails turn black it usually means that there has been bleeding under the nail. This can happen either from an acute injury (you accidentally kick a hard object or drop something on your toe) or from repetitive small injuries (your toe hitting your shoe over and over again while you're walking or running.
When black toenails develop from running people instinctively think it's because the shoes are too small, but this is usually not the case. In most instances the toe is actually curling downward and hitting the BOTTOM of the shoe. The curling down of the toes is more likely to happen if you're running farther than your used to running or wearing shoes without enough support. Not trimming the toenails short enough prior to running is also a contributing factor.
In severe cases of black toenails the blood may have to be drained from under the nail or the nail may have to be removed. More often the blood dries under the nail and clears up slowly as the nail grows out.
If you develop a black toenail that is painful you should consider seeing a podiatrist because of the risk of infection if it's not treated. Even if it's not painful the podiatrist may be able to help you prevent this from happening in the future and also help to make sure the nail grows back normally.
Happy running!
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