Strength Training and Endurance

Concurrent strength and endurance training maximize all the aspects of physical performance.

Strength training is an activity of short duration, performed at a very high or maximal intensity. These exercises – weight training or plyometrics – increase one’s capacity to do high-intensity and high-resistance work.

In contrast, the performance of endurance athletes relies strongly on their aerobic capacity. It is the ability of one’s body to take in & utilize oxygen.

An increase in endurance performance may result from an increase in VO2max, or the maximum rate at which oxygen can be absorbed & delivered to the muscle cells.

It is important to note that a combination of power-related and endurance-related attributes is needed to excel in mixed-type sports.

What are mixed-type sports?

These sports depend on many varying energy systems and variable strength and speed properties. MMA, basketball, boxing, hockey, soccer, and many other team-based sports come under this category.

Studies

• Wang et al (2012) demonstrated that resistance training (RT) following endurance training (ET) elicited greater PGC-1a activation (a regulator of energy metabolism & endurance adaptations) and thus more oxidation capacity improvements as compared to endurance training alone. 

• The increase in activation of PGC-1a was considered to be related to the high level of reactive oxygen species and lactate concentrations produced during RT vs during endurance training alone.

• Another study stated that resistance training has positive implications for endurance performance, mainly because type IIa muscle fibers increase and also the potential for force production. Thus, endurance athletes that concurrently resistance train can better their average and peak power outputs, which play a significant factor during races and time trials.

• RT also offers benefits for endurance events of varying durations. For shorter endurance events like the 800m run, most swimming events, and many team sports, performance may be improved by building up muscular strength & neuromuscular function, which can’t be achieved with ET alone.

Why strength, power, and endurance are the holy trinity of good health

For long aerobic endurance competitions and events like marathon runners and triathletes, performance improvements are caused due to an economy of movement induced by RT.

This means that endurance athletes who resistance train can better use their energy to travel at any given velocity, as they learn how to save energy in a long race.

The ideal diet

• Ingesting carbohydrates and leucine-containing protein supplements is crucial when training concurrently.
• Endurance athletes must focus on programming moderate volume, moderate to high-intensity RT around their prioritized ET, sport-specific sessions.

Suggestion for athletes

• Strength athletes must include low to moderate volume ET to abate the interference effect while still reaping the benefits of ET, such as better blood flow for recovery or building up some general work capacity in the period of restoration.
• For mixed-type & team sport athletes, the proportion of RT and ET must be strategically programmed, based on the energetic and muscular demands of the sport, an athlete’s strength and weaknesses, and their position on the team.

So, if you want to be fit as a fiddle, concurrent strength and endurance training is the way to go! Also consider giving male enhancement supplements a shot.