Historically, strength training has not been embraced by the running community. Weightlifting in particular was seen as having a potentially negative impact on running, the theory being that lifting weights increases muscle mass, and thus weight, making a runner less efficient. Even some of the teachings in my coaching certification courses have been skeptical on the benefits of strength training, viewing it as an injury prevention tool at best. The thought is that if someone isn’t at their volume limit, then more time carved out for training should be simply more running. Newer studies are showing that might not be true.
The truth is that in order to accumulate significant muscle mass, humans have to operate in a significant caloric surplus. People that run on a regular basis, especially higher volume athletes, will typically not be in a caloric surplus. So, packing on muscle mass is not something most runners need to worry about, especially if they eat a healthy diet.
The old theory has other flaws as well. Let’s think of a runner’s body as a spring. Each step we take we are pushing off the ground, propelling ourselves forward (uncoiling the spring). So, suppose a runner does gain a slight amount of weight due to an increase in muscle mass. That extra muscle will also help their body be a stronger, more tightly coiled spring. Any extra weight we may have to move around isn’t hindering us since we’re generating so much more force on the push off.
One interesting study (Effect of Strength Training Programs in Middle- and Long-Distance Runners’ Economy at Different Running Speeds: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis) concluded that plyometric training might benefit middle-long distance runners at lower speeds, while high load strength training may be more beneficial to running economy at higher speeds.
Last year, Jason Karp, PhD, published an article entitled The effects of strength training on distance running performance and running injury prevention. It found that “Strength training, either with heavy loads (≥ 90% 1-rep max) or with explosive movements, has been shown to have a small, positive effect on running economy, laboratory measures of performance (e.g., maximal aerobic speed, time to exhaustion), and running time-trial performance over distances from 3 to 10 kilometers.” The method for the study was impressive: Dr. Karp reviewed “All English-language published studies on the effects of strength training on distance running performance and the effects of strength training on distance running injury prevention were found using PubMed and Google Scholar databases.”
Seems like pretty conclusive evidence to me! Everyone who runs should perform some sort of strength routine. It can be a simple routine of 5-10 3x per week targeting stabilizer muscles, or a more robust routine with heavy weights and plyometrics done 2x per week. I’m not a certified strength coach, so I’m not going to prescribe anything specific, but a quick Google search of “strength routine for runners” will be a great starting point. If you want to get more in depth, I highly recommend the book “Running Rewired” by Jay Dicharry.
Have fun with your new strength routine and remember to listen to your body and don’t push it too hard.
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