Strength training for endurance athletes

Last week I attended a luncheon for an athlete friend who had achieved an amazing accomplishment: she earned an award for completing 5 endurance events in one year: the Gatineau Loppet, the Winterlude Triathlon, Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour, an Ironman event and a marathon.  Her award was obviously hard-won and well-earned. As I sat in her friend’s living room I looked around at all these endurance athletes – cyclists, runner’s, triathletes and skiers – and they all had one thing in common: Despite their passion for physical activity, their upper bodies were lacking in muscle.

Having spent over two decades in the company of endurance athletes, mainly cyclists, I can tell you this is completely normal. Very few endurance athletes work their upper bodies; a few do off-season weight training for their lower bodies. These athletes spend hours and hours on their bikes, some also running and swimming; the thought of adding another 2-3 hours per week of strength training on top of that is probably not very appealing. 

Only recently have I noticed a shift in this mentality: in fact my friend who earned the award has begun doing strength training twice a week as part of her regular routine of swimming and running. As we get older, people are beginning to realize the importance of strength training. 

5 reasons strength training is important for endurance athletes

1. Injury prevention – strong muscles protect the body from injury in the event of an accident. Strength training not only builds muscle, done properly it can strengthen ligaments and tendons, making your joints more durable against wear and tear. You will also be less prone to repetitive stress injuries.
   
2. Balance – By balance, I don’t mean stability (although strength training will increase joint stability) so much as a balanced body, where upper and lower body are equally strong.
   
3. Improved body composition – a skinny athlete will usually have a higher body fat composition than a lean, well-muscled athlete
   
4. Build lean muscle – by increasing lean muscle mass, you increase your body’s ability to use oxygen and burn more calories. So if you are running or cycling to maintain a healthy weight, consider substituting some of your endurance activities for strength training, burn fat and be healthier.
   
5. Increase efficiency in your sport – although endurance activities primarily stress the aerobic system, increasing leg strength can enhance endurance, allowing you to run or bike longer. As efficiency is increased, so is your ability to recover faster because strength training makes your body more efficient at converting metabolic waste, such as lactic acid, into energy.
   
   It was previously thought that only endurance exercise could raise a person’s VO2 max. But weight training has been shown to affect cardiovascular fitness, as measured by changes in VO2 max – the maximal amount of oxygen that the heart and lungs can deliver to the muscles. Science is beginning to show us that weight training and endurance exercise are not as distinct as was once thought. Now we are seeing that there is overlap between the physiological effects that the two types of exercise produce. Weight/strength training is about more than building big muscles.
   
6. Longevity – strength training contributes to longevity, a fact that surely should encourage all of us to consider engaging in some type of strength training, regardless of our sport of choice.

It is undeniable that strength training is important for everyone, and endurance athletes are no exception. Strength training can include any type of resistance training: bodyweight, dumbbells, barbells, machines, kettlebells, clubbells, mace, sandbags, and the list goes on. Don't like any of these? Try training in a group; you might see a big difference.