Strength Training, Running Economy and Running Speed

If you are a runner who has reached a more advanced level, you know running faster becomes harder at a higher level. A recent article provides insight into resistance training's ability to improve running economy and speed in advanced runners.

A review article of several high-quality running studies concluded strength training can improve endurance performance particularly at the 3k and 5k distances. This review excluded studies not considered well-designed so that tends to make this study a stronger level of evidence.

Three points from the review to note:

1. All five studies showed improved running economy;
2. Two studies showed an average runner speed improvement of 2.9 %;
3. Four of the five studies used explosive resistance training for the runners.

Take-home lesson: Strong evidence supports the use of explosive training as a runner training tool for improved running economy at shorter-distance endurance races. Ideally, more studies would have qualified for this review which would make the evidence even stronger. However, with what we now know, every serious 3k and 5k runner should be training with weights. If you are a running coach, you should consult with a qualified strength and conditioning professional to establish a resistance training program.

Yamamoto, LM, Lopez, RM, Klau, JF, Casa, DJ, Kraemer, WJ,and Maresh, CM. The effects of resistance training onendurance distance running performance among highly trained
runners: a systematic review. J Strength Cond Res 22(6):2036–2044, 2008.