‘’ Does strength training improve athletic performance in middle- and long-distance runners?‘’
‘’What role could strength training play in reducing runners’ injuries?‘’
These questions have gathered a lot of interest at a global level, with a number of scientists specializing in the fields of health and sports investigating the golden ratio in the most efficient and safest training preparation.
In a recent 2021 meta-analysis1 that reviewed data from 40 studies, it was shown that resistance training is rightfully a key strategy to reduce injury incidence, particularly in hamstring sports injuries.
Strength programs based on posterior chain eccentric strength and stability and balance training produced the greatest effectiveness.
On the other hand, an equally recent study evaluated the preventive action of short strengthening programs in “novice” marathon runners and included over 700 participants in the New York Marathon2. It initially confirmed the high prevalence of injuries among first-time marathon runners, but also revealed that a short home strength training program did not appear to reduce the incidence of overuse injuries and subsequent non-completion of the marathon.
Therefore, prevention strategies such as strength training are imperative to be developed and evaluated through clinical trials to reduce injuries in runners, especially for high-risk populations such as first-time marathon runners.
An important paper published in the journal Sports Medicine in 2018 by a team of British scientists from the University of Birmingham and Northumbria, collected data from 24 studies3. Participants were runners with ≥ 6 months of experience, middle (800–3000 m) or long distance (5000 m–ultra-distance). Studies with triathletes and biathletes were also included because these participants often have similar physiology to distance runners and complete similar running training volumes.
The runners were divided into 2 groups.
In the intervention group, heavy resistance training (sets of maximum loads with <<9 repetitions), explosive resistance training or plyometric training had to have been applied, in addition to running.
These strength training sessions had to be ≥ 4 weeks in duration, as this is the minimum period necessary to observe neuromuscular adaptations in strength-trained individuals. The other group was used as a running-only control group and adopted similar running training to the intervention groups.
Collectively, runners who did strength training showed up to an 8% improvement in running economy, represented by the body’s energy demand (expressed through VO2) for a given submaximal running speed.
In agreement with the above finding, time trial performance (1.5-10 km) and anaerobic speed development potential (sprint) showed a statistically significant improvement in the strength training group.
In contrast, other parameters such as:
- the maximum oxygen intake (VO2 max),
- the speed of the runner at the moment of maximum oxygen intake,
- the lactate in the blood and
- body composition,
typically based on statistical significance were not affected by strength training.
Another meta-analysis4 published in the same year in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance investigated the application of strength training in running, cycling, cross-country skiing and swimming.
Training with maximal loads was shown to have the most beneficial effects, while the analyses also revealed that the improvement in performance was consistent regardless of the athletes’ level.
In conclusion
It is important for the distance runner to know that the body composition is not adversely affected by strength training.
In contrast, adding two to three strength-focused exercise sessions per week, ideally involving a variety of training modalities, is likely to provide performance benefits for middle- and long-distance runners.
Overall, most studies in the last 5 years provide a framework that supports the application of strength training in combination with traditional running training. Research evidence points in a clear direction towards improving middle and long distance performance, as strength training in runners has been shown to have beneficial effects on the energy cost of movement, peak power and peak strength.
- Raya-Gonzalez J, Castillo D, Clemente FM. Injury prevention of hamstring injuries through exercise interventions. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2021 Sep;61(9):1242-1251. doi: 10.23736/S0022-4707.21.11670-6. Epub 2021 Jan 22. PMID: 33480508.
- Toresdahl BG, McElheny K, Metzl J, Ammerman B, Chang B, Kinderknecht J. A Randomized Study of a Strength Training Program to Prevent Injuries in Runners of the New York City Marathon. Sports Health. 2020 Jan/Feb;12(1):74-79. doi: 10.1177/1941738119877180. Epub 2019 Oct 23. PMID: 31642726; PMCID: PMC6931177.
- Blagrove, R.C., Howatson, G. & Hayes, P.R. Effects of Strength Training on the Physiological Determinants of Middle- and Long-Distance Running Performance: A Systematic Review. Sports Med48, 1117–1149 (2018)
- Berryman, N., Mujika, I., Arvisais, D., Roubeix, M., Binet, C., & Bosquet, L. (2018). Strength Training for Middle- and Long-Distance Performance: A Meta-Analysis, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 13(1), 57-64.
Αγγελική Φωτεινού