Strength and Power Training for Distance Runners

What are you missing in your programme?

This post is to highlight how strength and power training can help develop you as a runner, what you can do to improve your training and how to find a coach that can help you reach that new PB (distance specific).

When training for distance running the main determinants of performance include V̇O2max, lactate threshold (LT), and running economy (RE). We’re going to look a deeper look at running economy, the holy grail of modern running.

What are they?

• VO2 max refers to the highest rate at which the body can consume and utilise oxygen during aerobic exercise. Commonly known as aerobic power, it is well recognised as one of the main predictors of successful distance running performance with athletes who perform well in endurance activities typically possessing high VO2 max. Therefore, a goal of many distance runners is to improve VO2 max and most choose to avoid resistance training for fear of hindering their performance due to the falsely perceived physiological adaptations occurring from resistance training; gaining weight, adding bulk and becoming slower being the big three.
• Lactate Threshold (LT) refers to the point during exercise where there is a sudden dramatic increase in blood lactate (lactic acid) concentration. LT has been shown to be an important predictor of performance in distance running as a runner with a high LT is able to run at a high percentage of VO2max before the lactate production rate exceeds lactate removal rate. In simplified terms, a higher threshold will allow a runner to maintain pace and alter speed more efficiently.
• Running Economy (RE) in simplified terms is the amount of energy we require to run at a sub-maximal pace (80% percent for example). Therefore, it’s a calculation of oxygen volume that is being used at certain speed making it a crucial component of long distance running. Runners that have a good running economy will use less energy and hence less oxygen than runners with poor RE at the same velocity.

By being more economical a runner you can have a lower VO2 max and still be able run faster than another runner with higher VO2 max, granted their RE is lower, and this is where strength enters the room.

What kind of resistance training should be prescribed to improve RE?

Let’s keep this easy, resistance training should be supplementary to your running programme. However, the benefits behind it are huge and could be the difference between running that new PB, finishing an event or simply just being able pro-long your running career.  Adding on more mile-age and more hills while focusing solely on your VO2 max and building up that lactic threshold (LT) will only do so much before you reach burn-out or hit that injury threshold.

Resistance training has been shown to improve economy in distance-runners by an average of 5–10% with no deleterious effects to VO2 max or running performance, whilst also reducing the risk of injury through ligament and tendon strength enhancements.

Task; pick your distance and PB, take 5%-10% off – let’s set that as your new goal🏃‍♀️

Sadly, when working with beginner/novice runners it’s not un-common to see some coaches and personal trainers work solely on endurance when it comes to resistance training, using the “I’m training an endurance athlete, therefore their resistance programme should be the same”.

Endurance has its place, but it’s only the start of the training journey.

If we were to follow a linear training approach and pick one race where we want to peak an athlete for (resistance programme), they should be looking to build foundational strength through higher rep work at low load and then progress onto true strength training consisting of low repetition work and high load. If applied correctly then we would progress onto plyometric and power based exercise with the goal of reaching peak performance before a race taper.

Note, a more advanced athlete may use a different approach, as it’s likely fundamental strength will have previously been developed and it’s likely with more events that programmes will regularly change, meaning if may be linear, but also opens up the option to train in a more non-linear training system (training different qualities simultaneously). This will be touched on in a later article regarding periodisation.

Together, if progressed correctly, this cycle will have a wealth of benefits; stronger ligament strength therefore reducing the risk of injury, reduced ground contact time meaning a higher cadence level, stretch-shortening cycle improvements meaning athletes will produce more forceful and powerful strides (that “spring” we all talk about), core and postural stability and muscle landing stiffness (this one is important as it’ll save remarkable amounts of energy that can be put back into your run).

I’m scratching the surface here, so if anyone would like any more information on what they can do to improve their performance then please don’t hesitate to contact me using the ‘Contact’ tab above. If you'd like the research behind it, again, get in touch. No coach is the same and many specialise in different fields, so if you’re looking for help with your training make sure you pick the right coach and see if their training and coaching styles meet your specific goals.

Conclusion

Although there are limited studies done on exploring the influence of resistance training on distance running performance, research suggests that resistance training may improve VO2max and LT only in aerobically unfit individuals, beginner or novice athletes, but not for the trained distance runners as the stimulus is not intense enough to challenge the aerobic system of the athlete.

It is, however, well-documented that various forms of resistance training especially in the form of explosive movement training such as plyometrics will improve running economy and distance running performance.

A couple of fun facts to finish? The most economical distance runner ever measured could run 1500m in 3:35 with a VO2 max of only 63 ml/kg/min. The highest recorded Vo2 max (runner) on record is 92, Killian Jornet 2012.