- Researchers looked at studies examining the benefits of strength training on running performance – specifically running economy – and found that it increases efficiency.
- By comparing heavy weights and low reps, light weights and high reps, plyometric training and isometric exercises, researchers also reveal the best type of strength training to improve performance.
Cardio fitness and form affect your running economy, but that's not the only factor. According to new research in sports medicine, strength training can be an important variable in improving your performance, but the way you train is important.
“The message of our study is clear; We need to incorporate strength training into our running programs,” lead author Cristian Llanos-Lagos, PhD(c), a sports science researcher at the Universidad Pablo de Olavide in Spain, told Runner's World. “However, it is important to understand that different methods of strength training result in different adaptations and impact running economy for athletes at different performance levels.”
To put the results into context, it's helpful to revisit how running economy is defined. Along with lactate threshold and VO2max, running economy is one of the cornerstones of physiological performance in distance running. Essentially, frugality is not just about how much oxygen you put into your body, but also how well you use it – especially at your racing pace.
In the current meta-analysis, researchers examined 31 studies that looked at the effects of different strength training methods on running economy, including high loads (heavier weights with fewer repetitions), plyometric training (explosive exercises), and submaximal load training with lighter weights with a higher number of repetitions. The studies also included combined methods as well as isometric training, which relies on contacting a specific muscle or group of muscles in one position.
All studies included control groups with participants who completed endurance running but did not do strength training. In total, the studies included 195 moderately trained, 272 well-trained and 185 highly trained athletes.
Researchers found that high-impact strength training (i.e. heavier weights and fewer repetitions) was particularly beneficial for competitive athletes and high-speed runners because the training method improved short-term force production.
“The effect of resistance training at high loads may improve running economy through neuromuscular adaptations and improved lower limb stiffness,” Llanos-Lagos said. These neuromuscular adaptations increase the recruitment and firing rate of motor units as well as changes in muscle fiber type, he added, resulting in improved rate of force development, or the amount of force exerted over time.
“This is important to understand because during the contact phase of running, the amount of time we have to exert force is limited,” he said. “An athlete who generates high levels of force in a short period of time can transition more quickly from the braking phase to the propulsion phase of running, promoting favorable muscle relationships that enable improved running economy.”
For those who run at slow speeds — and focus on endurance rather than pace, for example — plyometric training turns out to be the right choice because it allows for greater energy storage that can be distributed over a longer period of time, Llanos said . Lagos. The discovery that plyometric training could be beneficial at low running speeds was a surprising discovery, he added. However, one possible mechanism is that this type of training increases tendon elongation, which likely impacts overall energy storage. This allows you to maintain your performance until the end of a long run or race.
In terms of running performance, the low-weight, high-rep approach proved to be less than ideal, but that doesn't mean you have to give it up if that's your preferred training style. Instead, you may want to incorporate a different type of strength training once or twice a week.
“Submaximal load training [low weight, high rep] Alone does not produce sufficient adaptations to detect changes in running economy, but when combined with plyometric training or high-load training, it could improve running economy,” he added. “Therefore, combining training methods may be a safer and easier alternative if you have less strength training experience.”
Isometric training alone also hasn't produced changes in running economy, but Llanos-Lagos said it can still be used under certain conditions – such as muscle contractions in the legs over short periods of time – that simulate running biomechanics.
“Overall, we strongly believe that the evidence underscores the need to incorporate different strength training methods into runners' training programs, regardless of their competitive level,” he said.
Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer specializing in health, wellness, fitness, and food.
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