The application of resistance training largely comes down to the individual. Do you to fit into the ectomorph slot (those with low muscle mass levels)? If so, you are going to be likely more suited to plyometric and strength based work, whereas if you fit into the mesomorph slot (those with high muscle mass levels) you may be more suited to postural/core and proprioception exercises.

Your work:life balance, access to facilities and resources as well as your budget and personality will influence how much and what type of resistance training is prescribed as will your age and resistance training experience.

Muscle Mass

Bigger, stronger muscles generate more forceful contractions which produce higher power and greater speed (1). However big muscles use more of our limited energy stores which is not compatible with the demands of endurance sport.

Other important findings to keep in mind when shaping a resistance training program:

• High peak power – endurance races are typically performed at a constant speed and peak power often secondary is important as powering over short hills attacking quickly will make your race more successful (1). Excellent for races like the coast to coast run where direction and terrain changes constantly.

• Lower relative muscular effort – Movements require a given force by the muscles, when your muscular strength is increased less of your maximal force is required to make the movement, increasing your muscular endurance (1).

• Reduced injury risk – Stronger muscles are more capable of withstanding injury producing forces (1).

In effect, high muscle mass is useful in sports which are of shorter duration, require frequent intense bursts of power and where body weight is largely supported (1). For example a multisports race dominated by cycling and running will require limited strength, however if this race finishes with a technical and short kayak upper body and core strength training could provide an advantage. Interestingly some sports, particularly cycling will construct optimal power to weight ratios for climbers and power to height ratios for time trial specialists (1). Muscle mass is critical for performance of all endurance athletes however the importance is deciding how much time you will devote to it given your particular sport, event or individual physiology.

Strength and Power

Most times I hear power and strength training talked about almost like they are interchangeable, or more commonly an individual mistakes one for the other. The strength of an athlete is determined by how much work they can perform e.g. how much an individual can squat at the gym determines how much work or strength they have. However for endurance sports the work is transporting one’s body and/or equipment between two points. For example two individuals of the same weight, one running a marathon in 2.10 (elite athlete) and the other in 4 hours can do the same amount of work as time is not relevant when comparing strength (2). Power however is the amount of work done over time, so while the two marathoners are of similar strength the runner who posts a time of 2.10 is much more powerful. So while power is often thought of as a one off max effort that is not important for endurance sports it is very important as higher power produces faster race times (2). For the average endurance athlete it is not about becoming super strong, but about achieving a level of strength/muscle mass suitable for your endeavors and then increasing the your power for this given strength. On a side note strength loss increases rapidly after the age of 40 so this should be taken into account during exercise prescription of strength and power training for mature athletes.

Effects of Resistance Training

Cycling

Ben Hurley and associates at the University of Maryland conducted studies on ten men who conducted resistance training over 12 weeks and used the following exercises; bench presses, hip flexions, knee extensions, knee flexions, press-ups, leg presses, lat pull downs, arm curls, parallel squats, and bent-knee sit-ups (2) and group of eight men acted as controls. After the twelve weeks those who did the weight training increased endurance at 75% of VO2max by 33% and increased lactate threshold by 12% (2). It is noted that the test subjects were not trained cyclists so the application to trained athletes is not concrete however for those new to the sport this could be beneficial. Personally I feel these exercises are not sport specific; add some specificity and further improvement might accrue.

Conversely, a study was undertaken by R. C. Hickson and his colleagues at the University of Illinois at Chicago with experienced cyclists where they conducted three sessions per week over ten weeks in addition to their normal training. The training was simple and consisted of parallel squats (five sets of five reps per workout), knee extensions (three sets of five reps), knee flexions (3 x 5), and toe raises (3 x 25), all with fairly heavy resistance. The only progression utilized in the programme involved the amount of resistance, which increased steadily as strength improved (2). Time at VO2max was also increased from 71 minutes to 85 minutes and short term endurance was also improved by 11% (2). These results proved very positive; however a study in South Africa on seven cyclists who averaged 200km per week produced slower 40km times despite producing an average strength increase of 20%. However the weight training was relatively basic, consisting of three sets of up to eight repetitions of hamstring curls, leg presses, and quadriceps extensions using fairly heavy resistance (2). This training may have sent the athletes into the over training zone and it was the total training load that produced the decrease in times. Hickson’s group may have increased fatigue resistance due to the lower weigh and high repetitions. We could also suggest that strength training may be more beneficial for more inexperienced cyclists.

Running

Despite mixed results from resistance training in cycling, studies on running have produced positive results on physiological performance indicators (9). The same test Hickson used on cyclists resulted in a 13% increase in 6min tests when used on relatively experienced runners (2). In another study involving resistance training of parallel squats, knee flexions, knee extensions, leg presses, calf raises, dead lifts, and sit-ups - carried out five times per week for 10 weeks produced a 12% increase of VO2max indicating an strong relation between resistance training and aerobic capacity. However the testing was implemented once again on non-runners. A more detailed study at the University of New Hampshire with experienced female runners showed improvements in running economy. The following programme was used, one workout consisted of squats, knee flexions, straight-leg heel raises, seated presses, rear lat pull-downs, hammer curls, and weighted sit-ups, while the other contained lunges, knee extensions, bent-leg heel raises, bench presses, seated rows, front lat pull-downs, and abdominal curls (9). The 4% increase in running economy can then enhance running times significantly.

I have had one athlete comment that eliminating strength training made him feel slower, of particular mention was his peak power output. On a side note running economy is defined as the steady state oxygen consumption for a standardized running speed, i.e. increasing running economy should allow one to run faster over the same distance or run longer at the same running speed due to a decrease in oxygen consumption (9).