Concurrent Training and Endurance Performance Notes

Concurrent Training and Endurance Performance

Endurance Training Effects

  • Endurance training has robust effects on aerobic power and capacity, and some effects on anaerobic power and capacity.
    • Aerobic Power and Capacity:
      • Improved oxygen transport and utilization.
      • Impacts VO2 max, lactate threshold, and movement efficiency.
    • Anaerobic Power and Capacity:
      • Improved glycolytic capacity, lactic acid production, buffering capacity, PCR (phosphocreatine) stores, and utilization.
      • Positively impacts high-intensity exercise endurance, movement efficiency, lactate threshold, and VO2 max.
    • Ultimately, these improvements enhance endurance exercise performance.

Resistance Training Effects

  • Resistance training has robust effects on neuromuscular capacity.
    • Improved motor control, strength, elasticity, and rate of force development.
    • Improves anaerobic power and capacity, including glycolytic capacity and lactic acid production.
    • Leads to improvements in high-intensity exercise endurance, movement efficiency, and lactate threshold, thereby contributing to endurance exercise performance.

Strength Training and Endurance

  • Strength training improves neural function, leading to greater contraction forces and rates of force development.
  • Increases the percentage of type 2A muscle fibers and improves tendon stiffness, impacting rate of force development.
  • Improvements in the economy of movement and an increase in capillary mean transit time.
    • Short-term Endurance (0-15 minutes):
      • Increased type 2 fibers, rate of force development, and contraction force can improve performance.
    • Long-term Endurance (30-180 minutes):
      • MVC (maximal voluntary contraction), economy of movement, type 2A fibers, and capillary transit time can improve performance in activities like 10k runs to marathons.

Study 1: Strength and Endurance Training

  • 16-week study examining strength training parameters for a strength and endurance training group.
    • Training progressed from hypertrophy loads to basic strength loads.
    • Critique: Loads were performed to repetition maximum, which may not be ideal.
  • Endurance training volume started at approximately 14 hours per week, fluctuating between 11 and 18 hours per week.
Findings
  • Five-minute all-out performance (short-term) improved for both the strength and endurance training group and the endurance-only group.
  • 45-minute time trial performance:
    • The change in mean power production was greater for the strength and endurance training group compared to the endurance training group.

Study 2: Bastianz et al. (2001)

  • Compared a control group with an experimental group that added strength training to their aerobic program.
  • Experimental Group:
    • Included strength training in addition to aerobic training intensity zones (D1, D2, D3).
  • Control Group:
    • Performed a high amount of zone one aerobic training and some zone two and zone three, with no strength training.
Findings
  • The experimental group showed more improvement in average mean power relative to pre-training values during a simulated one-hour time trial.
  • Similar positive changes were observed for the experimental group in terms of average maximal power in an incremental ergometer test.
  • Better maintenance of short-term performance relative to pre-training values at a cadence of 60 RPM was observed in the experimental group.
  • A significant group by time interaction was observed for the change in efficiency, favoring the experimental group.

Study 3: Hickson et al.

  • Ten weeks of combined resistance and aerobic training.
  • Subjects: Eight endurance-trained subjects.
  • Experimental group performed three days per week of resistance training at approximately 80% of 1RM (one-repetition maximum) in addition to their endurance training.
Findings
  • Significant improvement in cycling time to exhaustion, from 71 minutes to 85 minutes.
  • No overall change in VO2 max.
  • 11-13% improvement in short-term endurance.
  • Approximately 20% improvement in long-term time to exhaustion.
  • No change in 10-kilometer performance.
  • 30% increase in leg strength.
  • Conclusion: Resistance training may offer some benefit to endurance athletes.

Study 4: Johnston et al.

  • Ten weeks of concurrent strength and endurance training including 12 female distance runners.
  • Experimental group: Usual 4-5 days per week of endurance training (20-30 miles) plus three days per week of resistance training.
  • Control group: Only endurance training.
Findings
  • VO2 value was lower for a given running speed in the experimental group, indicating better performance.

Study 5: Pavilanian

  • Nine weeks of concurrent strength or power training and endurance performance.
  • Total training volume was equalized.
  • Experimental group: 32% of training time consisted of strength power training.
  • Control group: only 3% of training time consisted of strength power training.
Findings
  • Experimental group reduced their five-kilometer time compared to the control group.
  • Reduction in ground contact time for the endurance running group.
  • Reduction in VO2 required at a given running speed.
  • Improved VMAT (average peak velocity in a maximal anaerobic running test) in the experimental group.
  • Replacing a portion of endurance training volume with strength power training can improve some aspects of endurance performance, in this case, five-kilometer performance.
  • Changes in neuromuscular characteristics result in improved VMAT, improved running economy, and improved power-generating capacity.

Study 6: Concurrent Resistance and Aerobic Training

  • Eight weeks of concurrent resistance and aerobic training.
  • Experimental group: 19% less endurance training time, replaced with resistance training (three days per week, 2-3 sets, 6-10 repetitions, plyometrics, and sprints).
  • Control group: No resistance training or explosive training.
Findings
  • 3% improvement in VMAT for the experimental group.
  • Improvement in 30-meter run velocity.
  • Improvement in the lactate threshold.
  • Decrease in VO2 at a given running speed.
  • No change in peak VO2 max or running economy.
  • Conclusion: Neural adaptations may partially explain the improvements in performance observed.

Study 7: Vic Moen (2016)

  • Muscle fiber cross-sectional area assessment (Type 1 and Type 2 fibers).
  • Pre and post-intervention period for athletes adding strength training to normal endurance training.
  • Muscle fiber cross-sectional area for both fiber types improved for the endurance and strength training group, but not for the endurance training group.
  • Improvements in squat jump height, countermovement jump height, and mean one-repetition maximum (1RM) leg strength between groups.
  • No Significant changes in oxygen consumption at 10 kilometers per hour, running velocity at a given lactate level, fractional utilization of VO2 max, and 40-minute all-out running distance for the strength and endurance training group.
  • Distinct neuromuscular adaptations were observed in the absence of significant endurance performance changes.

Study 8: Wong et al.

  • Eight weeks of resistance training incorporated into the preseason training period of soccer athletes.
  • Experimental group: Resistance training added to preseason training.
  • Control group: Usual preseason training.
Findings
  • Large improvement in vertical jump.
  • Reduction in 10- and 30-meter sprint time.
  • 20% improvement in the yo-yo intermittent recovery test.
  • 3% improvement in maximal aerobic speed.
  • 8-9% improvement in maximal aerobic speed distance.