Strength Training Studies

Examples of Five Strength Training for Runners Studies

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A 2016 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found “a unanimous, large, beneficial effect of strength training” in middle- and long-distance runners. Runners in the study saw improvements in running economy, which essentially means they improved the rate of their steady state running capacity.

A 2010 study in that same publication determined that runners who did lower body strength training with squats displayed significantly more force production, an increase in running economy, and a 21 percent increase in running to exhaustion on a treadmill. As compared to the control group in the study (which did not participate in any strength training), the group that lifted weights became stronger and more powerful.

And finally, a 2017 study found that a strength training program for runners consisting of 2-3 sessions per week in the “offseason” significantly improved VO2max and running economy. Runners who continued to strength train once a week during the race prep season were able to maintain the strength gains achieved in the offseason, while those who did not saw their strength gains deteriorate.

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In fact, a 2017 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research spent 40 weeks studying the effects of strength training on 20 long distance runners. The runners improved their running economy and velocity at VO2max – two of the best physiological indications of performance – but did not see any significant changes in body composition.

Plyometrics are an invaluable tool for runners, whether you are training for a 5K or ultra marathon. According to a 2014 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, explosive strength training reduced the 2.4-km time trial time of highly competitive runners by almost 4%. The plyometric training was concurrent with endurance training, meaning that you can’t quite get away with taking a HIIT class instead of doing speed work; but for runners already training hard, plyometrics can help improve your speed without adding too much intensity to your running workouts. Plyometric exercises include single leg hops, jumping lunges, jumping squats, box jumps, and any other type of jump.