Plyometrics or Heavy Weight Training – Which is best for runners?
by Doug Stewart
I have written a number of times about strength training, such as this newsletter from June, and its impact on endurance performance.
A recently published paper conducted a review of the previous studies, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of heavy resistance training versus plyometric exercises in improving running economy and pace.
The researchers looked at middle and long distance runners, and removed studies that used 'non-runners' (defined as untrained or those that had less than 6 months of run training).
From the 22 papers included in the review, some focused on heavy weight training and others on plyometrics. The researchers grouped them based on the intervention type, duration of the experiment etc. to try and create similar groupings to draw conclusions from.
It is worth noting that, across the papers reviewed, various strength training interventions and assessment methods were used, so the overall summary is combining a variety of different research methodologies and putting them in certain groupings.
The findings were as follows:
Plyometrics and heavy weight training both improve running economy and time trial performance
The more successful interventions lasted for longer durations, over 10 weeks
Heavy resistance training (with high weight and a low number of reps) yielded greater results compared to plyometrics – so may be the most effective type of strength training
However, this study highlights that, although both plyometrics and heavy strength training had a positive impact on the running performance of multiple subjects, the impact was small in the grand scheme of things.
So, whilst the evidence suggest there are benefits from strength training, it is important to put these into a context of the training plan - for example, would an extra training run, or extra recovery, yield greater returns than doing the strength session?
Incidentally, a review from 2014 did also highlight (across various sports) that strength training had a significant impact on injury prevention. Therefore, maybe its main benefit is it may allow for more consistent run training, helping improve run performance in an indirect way.
References:
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 8, 138 (2022).
Lauersen, J.B., Bertelsen, D.M. and Andersen, L.B., 2014. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British journal of sports medicine, 48(11), pp.871-877.