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By Jenna Zajac PT, DPT, PhD Runners often hear that hitting the gym can reduce injury risk and boost performance. However, without a clear structure, these recommendations can feel overwhelming. First, let’s be clear: running places significant stress on the body. Generally, the body manages and responds well to this stress, unless it experiences an overload beyond its capacity. Running with a lower capacity threshold reduces the body’s ability to handle periods of overload, often resulting in injury, interrupted training, and diminished performance. To better understand the requirements of running, consider the following: we need to absorb forces upon landing, support our center of mass during single-leg stance, and propel ourselves forward. Running requires a combination of mobility, stability, strength, and power to optimize economy and performance. Mobility A common question with mobility is, “How much is enough?” Limited motion often accompanies limited stability in runners. If we have adequate mobility for essential movements (e.g., hip extension, dorsiflexion, big toe extension), there’s usually no problem. However, limited mobility in key areas can lead to compensatory motion elsewhere, altered running mechanics, or both. The body adapts to what it practices, finding the path of least resistance. Ensuring normal movement patterns and building precision can improve running form and create a foundation for safe, efficient movements. Mobility exercises, performed 2-3 times a week with dedicated focus, help ensure appropriate movement for running. Stability Stability is the ability to control dynamic alignment under load and fatigue. Deliberate, skill-based movements and specific actions enhance running durability and economy by retraining neuromuscular strategies and tapping into neuroplastic mechanisms. Neuroplasticity allows the brain’s neural networks to change and rewire through learning or experiences. A large part of running gait relies on the connection between the brain, joints, and muscles to create a stable foundation for landing and propulsion. Running involves braking and acceleration forces amounting to 40-50% of your body weight and lateral forces around 15%. Some energy produced during running is stored and released in the tendon, offsetting muscle work. Proximal stability is crucial for optimal energy transfer. Without it, you must generate more force from your muscles, increasing metabolic energy. Stability exercises, incorporated 2-3 times a week, target the neuromuscular system and muscle memory, providing a base for strength building. Strength With proper mobility and stability, we can improve force production or strength in various load patterns to optimize running economy and performance. Prior work has demonstrated that strength training reduced sports injuries to less than ⅓ and halved the incidence of overuse injuries [Lauersen et al]. In addition, other work has demonstrated that heavy resistance training in runners can increase running economy by +2-8% [Blagrove et al 2018] and 5k running speeds up to 45 seconds faster in runners engaging in a strength training program [Karsten et al 2016]. In terms of specific muscle groups or movements to focus on, exercises targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves are key for runners to incorporate into their strength training routine. Incorporating progressive resistance training 2x/week can produce greater motor unit recruitment and firing rates as well as increase tendon stiffness, both contributing to improvements in running economy. To maximize benefits without exacerbating fatigue, focus on lifting heavy with low volume (e.g., 4 exercises, 3-4 sets each), avoid lifting to failure (e.g., keep 1-2 reps in reserve), and use the minimally effective dose (e.g., 2 sessions per week). Power Power is essentially the rate of force development or your ability to maximize strength at a certain speed. It takes time to achieve peak force, but we don’t have the luxury of time while running as we are only on the ground for 0.15-0.25 seconds on average. Therefore, we have to train and prepare the body for the demands of running. Prior work has shown that 6 weeks of plyometric training can improve running economy by up to 7% [Elhara 2022]. Increasing limb stiffness and applying more force into the ground maximizes the transfer of strength and power into running gait, sustaining higher demands with less fatigue. Plyometric training also contributes to increases in bone density, mineral content, and strength [Vlachopoulos 2018]. Performing power-related exercises 2-3 times a week helps maximize ground contact time, improve running economy, and reduce injury potential. Resources -Blagrove RC, Howatson G, Hayes PR. Effects of Strength Training on the Physiological Determinants of Middle- and Long-Distance Running Performance: A Systematic Review. Sports Med. 2018;48(5):1117-1149. doi:10.1007/s40279-017-0835-7 -Karsten B, Stevens L, Colpus M, Larumbe-Zabala E, Naclerio F. The Effects of a Sport-Specific Maximal Strength and Conditioning Training on Critical Velocity, Anaerobic Running Distance, and 5-km Race Performance. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2016;11(1):80-85. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2014-0559 -Eihara Y, Takao K, Sugiyama T, et al. Heavy Resistance Training Versus Plyometric Training for Improving Running Economy and Running Time Trial Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med Open. 2022;8(1):138. Published 2022 Nov 12. doi:10.1186/s40798-022-00511-1 -Vlachopoulos D, Barker AR, Ubago-Guisado E, Williams CA, Gracia-Marco L. The effect of a high-impact jumping intervention on bone mass, bone stiffness and fitness parameters in adolescent athletes. Arch Osteoporos. 2018;13(1):128. Published 2018 Nov 17. doi:10.1007/s11657-018-0543-4 -Jay Dicharry. Decoding Running: Unraveling pathology, personalities, and the injury to performance spectrum when stakes are high. 2024 -Rich Willy. Advanced Concepts in Running Injuries. Resistance training for the runner: Principles and evidence. 2024
