In the last few posts, we've discussed a number of running-related topics, including: bare-foot running, peaking, and overtraining. As we've seen, there's some controversy surrounding these topics, and in each case I've advised readers to both experiment with and think critically about the facts, theories, and opinions inherent in each before taking their conclusions at face value. Put simply, the human body is very complex, and can vary in small but critical ways (so far as distance running is concerned) from one person to the next. So it seems important not only to read, but also to think and experiment so as to find the training methods that work best for you. Sound research and a coach can be helpful in this pursuit, but may not prove necessary. As always, due caution is advised.
The topic I'd like to discuss today is weight-training for distance runners. Just as competitive runners almost invariably consider whether to embrace a high or low-mileage training scheme, it's not uncommon for those same runners to eventually consider whether they should do weight-training.
Not surprisingly, fanatics exist on both sides of the debate. Historically, the Australian Percy Cerutty is one early example of a coach who whole-heartily embraced weight-training. Among other things (Cerutty never allowed his athletes to drink milk, consume white flour, or drink water during or shortly after meals), his athletes were said to lift three times per week, each session lasting two hours (link). Most famously, he required anyone he coached to be able to lift, in some manner, one's body weight above one's head. This training he supplemented with intense bare-foot fartleks over sand-dunes, long runs in natural locations, and a holistic philosophy that included moderate alcohol consumption, no smoking, and no staying up past mid-night.
On the other side of the issue, the New-Zealander Arthur Lydiard considered weight training anathema for distance runners, suggesting that runners lift weights for their legs only if no hills were available. In several of his books, Lydiard points to Lasse Viren, the Finnish runner who won the gold medal at the 5,000m and 10,000m at both the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games, as having the ideal shape of a distance runner. Viren's "plucked chicken" look seemed to Lydiard the closest thing to a perfect distance-running build then available. A brief glance at most large cross-country invitationals (be it college or high school) today reveals the continuing appeal of this idea.
According to Kenny Moore, Bill Bowerman, a famous coach at the University of Oregon, felt that Lydiard's New Zealand runners could forgo weight-training because they, "...still pitched hay and cut woods in New Zealand. 'If we did that...we wouldn't have to lift weights'" (Moore, 146). (As an interesting aside, Geoffrey Mutai--winner and course-record setter of this year's Boston and New York City marathons, including the fastest 26.2 mile marathon time ever recorded (2:03:02)--took up lumber-jacking before his break-out performances in 2011.Coincidence?) Moore notes that Bowerman's runners did pull-ups and other similar exercises, and even swam some days so as to recover. Weight-training, then, appears to have held a small but important place in Bowerman's training regimin at Oregon.
It is this sort of position that most "moderates," if you will, espouse on the topic today. A review of some interesting studies in 2000 found that, "strength training is indeed beneficial to endurance athletes," most particularly when "it mimics the movements and actions of the athlete's sport." The review cautions, however, that it remains unclear whether strength-training benefits carry over into distances over 5,000m.
These conclusions are reinforced by a 1997 study performed on female runners, in which test subjects were given a 10-week program of strength and endurance work, and then compared to a control group given only endurance training. The study found that no increase in V02max resulted from the addition of strength training to an endurance regimen. However, running economy improved "significantly" in the Strength and Endurance group, a result which did not prove true with the Endurance-only group.
So it would appear that weight training can improve running economy. Based on the review linked above, this improvement would likely occur in runners whose strength-training closely mimicked the motions of running. The adaptation of specific muscles involved in running finds support in the Muscle Power Model, which "predicts that changes in exercise performance may result from increased muscle contractile function caused by biochemical adaptations in muscle that increase force production or the rate of sarcomere shortening, or both, independent of changes in neural recruitment by the brain" (Noakes, 38). A 1992 study of swimmers found similar conclusions regarding swimmers' muscles and the application of force against the water, stating, "'...it must be remembered that strength per se does not indicate fast swimming. The forces generated by the muscle must be effectively applied to the water if they are to propel the body. Thus, strength specifically is the key to swimming success'" (Noakes, 38). Accordingly, strength exercises that closely mimic the running motion could improve economy.
In conclusion, it would seem that weight training can have a positive effect on running performance, at least in races up to 5,000m in distance. I suspect the benefits would extend to almost any distance, but the literature I could find does not say. Improvements in running economy should mean that the same running speed can be maintained with less effort at any distance. This adaptation means not only potentially faster racing times, but also faster training paces. Weight-training may therefore allow an athlete to train at a more intense level, and reach a higher level of general fitness before beginning the race-specific sharpening training, as discussed in the post on peaking.
I encourage you to experiment with these ideas as you can. Consulting a knowledgeable trainer may help you to avoid common mistakes while weight-training, and by extension lessen the risk of injury. Dietary considerations should also be discussed, especially regarding protein and iron-intake. With some help and a careful approach, it seems likely that weight-training could benefit your competitive running.
Happy Thursday, friends :).
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