Strength Training for Endurance Athletes

If you’re like many of the endurance athletes we know, you’d rather be out running than sweating under an iron bar in the weight room. Often times it’s only an injury that will force an athlete off the trails and into the gym. Athletes competing in anaerobic sports are familiar with the muscular performance gains from strength training, however lesser known are the benefits that translate to biomechanics and bioenergetics of distance running. A recent study published in the Biology of Sport sought to clarify how strength training affects mechanical efficiency in active individuals. Participants underwent a biweekly 8-week lower body strength training program.  Anthropometric, strength, biomechanical and metabolic data were captured before and after the intervention.  Results revealed enhanced muscle strength improved metabolic economy during running while total work and mechanical efficiency remained unchanged (Storniolo et al., 2022).        

Considering the brevity of the training and the lack of athropometric (e.g., thigh diameter) and mechanical changes, the authors speculated improvements in running economy and strength were attributed at least in part to improved motor function (i.e., oxidative function and neural control). This position would corroborate previous research by Millet et al. (2002) that pointed to neuromuscular adaptations as an explanatory measure for improved running economy with concomitant strength training.

 Regardless of the mechanism, such research demonstrates the complex interplay of strength and endurance training, and not to be overlooked, the opportunity to make valuable performance gains without the beloved mileage.