Resistance Training for Endurance Athletes: Research and Practical Application Will Peveler Ph.D.
Question Is resistance training beneficial for endurance athletes?
Before 12 weeks of resistance training
After 12 weeks of resistance training
Yes! Resistance training in the off-season will lead to increased performance Of the 19 studies reviewed, 16 support increased performance The other three show no significant differences
Off-Season There is no off in off-season Last about 3-5 months Decrease volume and intensity Recover physically and mentally Work on power for next season Maintain necessary endurance base
Resistance training for endurance athletes is not a strength training program You can not adapt a body building or strength program Too high volume Common mistake made by lay population
Effects of Resistance Training on Endurance Performance Concurrent training interferes with optimal strength gains (Hickson 1980) Not a concern for endurance athletes Research has demonstrated that concurrent training does not negatively impact endurance performance
No alteration in VO2max No decrease in endurance performance measures Resistance training does not increase aerobic capacity VO 2max Measures remain unaltered due to resistance training Even when increases in performance are evident
Improved Performance Increase in Time to exhaustion Hickson et al. (1988) Short-term endurance (5-8 min) increased by 11% (cycling) and 13% (Running) Long-term (69-85 min) increased by 20% (cycling) Running not measured in long-term (injury) Storen et al. (2008) Increased time to exhaustion by 20.3%, while running at maximal aerobic speed
Marcinik et al. (1991) Cycling time at 75% of VO 2max increased by 33%
Increases in performance over a fixed distance or time Aagaard et al. (2007) Short-term endurance (distance traveled in 5 min) increased by 3-4% Long-term endurance (distance traveled in 45 min) increased by 8% Paavolainen et al. (1999) 5 km running time improved by 3.1%
Spurrs, Murphy, & Watsford (2003) 3 km run time improved by 2.7%
Improvement in economy Johnsten et al. (1997) Improvement in economy running at 214 and 230 m min -1 (8 & 8.5 mph) Millet et al. (2002) Improvement in economy (3km run at a fixed resistance) Spurrs, Murphy, & Watsford (2003) Improved running economy (VO 2 measures at 12, 14, & 16 km h -1 )
Storen et al. (2008) 5% improvement in running economy at 70% of VO 2max Turner, Owings, & Schwane (2003) Running economy improved at three different submaximal intensities by 6-10%
Improvements in time to exhaustion and increases in performance can be attributed to improvement in economy Due to no increase in VO 2max However, some studies did report an increase in lactate threshold
Increased performance due to neuromuscular adaptations Increased type I muscle fiber recruitment, which delays type II muscle fiber recruitment Reducing peak tension at submaximal levels Improved motor unit recruitment patterns and synchronization Improved stretch-shortening cycle during running Increased elastic energy from eccentric contraction Reduce contact with ground
Increased lactate threshold Current research has produced mixed results Increased LT would lead to increased performance
Body composition Most research does not support significant changes in body composition in endurance athletes Hickson et al. (1988) Muscle biopsy- fiber diameter unchanged after training
Increased power production Noakes (1988), Nummela et al. (2006), and Paavolainen et al. (1999) suggest that muscle power affects economy. For sprints and climbing
Decrease the risk of overuse injuries Decrease muscle imbalance Increased joint stability Improved biomechanics
Increased bone density Important for cyclists and swimmers Site specific
Most swimming studies concentrate on 50-200 meters Trappe and Pearson (1994) Compared pull-ups and dips with traditional weight training 365.8 meter time trial increased in both groups
Sprint swimming research has demonstrated that resistance training improves: Stroke rate Distance traveled per stroke Both would lead to increased performance in distance swimming as well.
Practical Application The average off season is about 12 weeks long. When examining the training length of 13 studies: Mean of 9.31 ± 3.28 weeks Range = 5-16 weeks Improvement was evident even in 5 and 6 week programs
Specificity Exercises should be sport specific Look at angle and speed of action Cycling: Soleus Swimming: Rotator cuff muscles Working core important for all
Types of Resistance Training Weight Training Plyometrics Body management
Sport specific resistance Cycling: Tension intervals Hill repeats Running: Hill repeats Stadium workouts Swimming: Tethered swimming Paddles Dry-land
Sudden increases in sport specific resistance training can lead to injury
Research shows improvement with all types of resistance training Plyometrics Weight Training High reps/low weight High reps high speed Low reps/high weight To date, one has not been shown to be more effective than another
Sedano et al. differences between strength training (3 sets, 7 reps) and plyometrics, muscular endurance (3 sets, 20 reps), and a control group (band). Both resistance groups improved significantly in strength, running economy, and peak velocity. Only the strength and plyo group increased 3km run time.
Repetition and Sets There is not a consensus on the correct amount of reps Low reps (4-6), mid reps (8-12), and high reps (up to 30) appear to work. Sets 1-3
Number of exercises Keep program low volume One large movement/muscle group One small movement/muscle
Developing a program Start slowly DOMS Cycling: no eccentric motion Injury Technique Endurance athletes may not be familiar with proper technique
Days per week One to three Start with two days in the weight room and one sport specific resistance When you move from off-season to preparation phase drop to one day/week. Stop resistance training during competition phase Can keep one day/week sport specific resistance
Volume Do not add weight training on top of normal off-season volume Jackson, Hickey, & Reiser (2007) Three groups: Cycling only High resistance (4 reps) High repetition (20 reps) No differences in performance between any group
Both resistance protocols were added on top of cycling Subjects were also conducting hill repeats and intervals Too high volume Subjects stated that they would not be able to keep up the volume of training
Must keep an aerobic base
Contact Information Will Peveler Ph.D. Email: pevelerw1@nku.edu Office: (859) 572-5960
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