Strength training could be the key to faster running!
Strength training has been found to improve running economy (the amount of oxygen needed to maintain a certain pace), time trial performance and all out sprint speed in middle and long-distance runners of all capabilities (1,2,3).
Imagine improving your 5km personal best by up to a minute by pairing your regular training with 2 weekly gym sessions over a 6-week period (2).
Strength training could be the key to reduced injury risk!
Hopefully, I have got your attention! Not only has strength training been shown to improve running speed and economy but it also plays a key role in reducing the risk of injury. It is fair to speculate that many running related injuries arise due to training errors, such as a sudden increase in training load. When broken down this refers to exceeding the capacity within a certain tissue at any time. So really, the primary goal of strength training is to improve resilience within that tissue so it can withstand the loads we are asking of it. But how do we do this?
Understanding the muscle forces produced during running and rigorous foot and leg activity is a good place to start. Let us look at the calf muscle, when we run our soleus produces anywhere up-to 8 times our body weight in force! With a force as large as that it is hard to imagine that completing an endurance-based calf strengthening program is going to be enough to improve strength and studies support this (3).
So, what should we be doing?
Calf strength for runners should form part of a global gym program that is carried out 2-3 times a week targeting other muscle groups such as the hip and thigh muscles. It is important to remember that programming the number of sets, repetitions and weight should be individualised.
Two key exercises that form part of my own regular calf strengthening routine are bent and straight leg calf raises with added weight. I perform 3-4 sets of 8 repetitions carried out slow and controlled (2 seconds up, 1-2 second hold, 2 seconds to lower. There are many variations of a calf raise and when rehabilitating a specific injury, the dosage of sets, reps and weight may change so it is important to check in with a health professional who has experience in this area for guidance.
At the end of the day, it appears strength training has many benefits, however, it is important to note the many limitations of research and in any case strength training is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to reducing the risk of injury, improving running economy and faster running.
If you need advice on improving your physical performance and reducing risks of injury, contact Melbourne Foot Clinic today.