Behind the Times

article posted august 15th by gina kolata. Perks of cross-training may end before the finish line.


My quick thoughts/review/summmary

Question: will cross training improve your performance in your primary sport


Writer noted the both the American orthopedic society for sports medicine and the american college of sport medicine say yes. writer goes on to say that these recomendations were for overall healthy and NOT performance.


Claim 1- adding cycling to a runners program DID NOT improve runners performance.
"you can maintain your cardiovascular capacity but it is extremely difficult to maintain your performance when you rely on cross training" Dr. Tanaka

claim 2-resistance training improved endurance in running and cyclists (but not swimmers). side note, resistance training is done to increase muscle size and strength. side note 2, when swimmers do specific resistance exercises in the water they do get faster.

claim 3- how do you prevent injuries? writer cites Dr. Willem Van Mechelem head of public and occupational health at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. after teasing all variables the biggest variable that promotes injury is running. so if you want to be less injured run less.

OK now here are my thoughts

Claim 1- substituting events will not improve your event.


while it does maintain endurance levels, it wont improve running. why? running is a skill and to improve on that skill the specifity needs to a be a focus. What bugs me is the lack of understanding the writer has about energy systems and muscle types. if the variable of intensity remains the same in both events then yes there will be no improvement just maintenance. If the variable of skill (actually running) is ignored then yes the skill of running will go down and she is no longer as good of a runner hence performance goes down. Not because cross training doesnt work but because the person wasn't challenged and main skill was let to go to waste.

if the runner were my client i'd ask first what is the goal, that will dictate how everything will be approached. i will use cycling as cross training? ok but why whats diffrent? both are sagital plane knee dominant movements so how i can i use this to improve perfromance in the main goal of running? sprints! the writer treated all actions as if they were the same, not all muscle types are the same this is why claim 2 was a shock to her


Claim 2- resistance training improved enduranced in cyclists and runners (but not swimmers).


Look at all strength as a continuum, intensity is the percentage of your one rep max. sorry crossfiitters fran is not high intensity at all, its actually lower intensity, marathon running super low intensity. now, if you take an activity that has similar movement patterns, take for example triple extension knee dominant like in running and squatting, as 100% gets higher what used to be 55% is now more like 50%. im laymans terms because i am now stronger what used to be easy is even easier.

now what about swimmers? aerodynamics and hydrodynamics are different. the bouyancy of air and water don't allow for similar movements. while gravity pulls me down in air water keeps me up and adds resistance in all plans not just up and down (like gravity does) will strength training make you stronger in swimming? yes but the specifity of hydronamics need to be addressed. force is no longer ground driven, but rapid and forceful hip extension still have a role in swimming. forceful pulling vertically from overhead to hip still play a role. i'd bet heavy pull-ups and and power moves that are hip dominant and based on bar speed not weight will improve swimming (soo im guessing hang cleans/snatches over heavy deads).


that brings a good point for claim 1 vector resistance played a role in why cycling isnt going to improve running. in running you are putting force into the ground and pushing off jumping to your next location decelarating with the opposite foot absorping forcing transitioning then creating force into the ground the exploding again. repeating the cycle with the first foot. cycling is a push pull in a a circular pattern. not to mention hip angle and knee angles are different for both.

Claim 3 - to decrease running injuries, stop running.

this is so stupid (professionally speaking of course haha)
the biggest determinant of injury is the law of repetitive motion. most people do not get hurt from blunt trauma ( a big accident). you dont want a deadlifting injury then dont deadlift? every activity causes a stress thats just how life worksj stress it, we adapt. the more you do something the more susceptible you are to getting hurt from that activity. running is extremely repetitive so the chances of getting hurt from it are higher, but if you love running dont stop running just do something about its negative side effects.

so here is the wrap up

SAID specific adaptations to imposed demands-you will adapt in a specific manner to the stress the running gives, but thats it. to maintain a healthy lifestyle you should be as well rounded as possible. strength training will improve that continuum so running is easier now at the same speed. doing a different activity that has a similar energy system will allow you to maintain endurance levels while giving you some rest from your preferred activity therefore lowering the risk of injury. Change the intensity of your work. SPRINT!!!!!mechanically very similar but you get to improve on that strength continuum and lower the total volume. Now because you are running less you will be decreasing risk of injury. last bit i didnt touch on Davis Law a strong and inflexible gastroc will result in a weak and flexible anterior tibialis. running is knee dominant, then you better work on that hip dominant movement or else you will get into injured. running is purely sagital, dont ignore frontal movements, get some lateral action. running is slow twitch, step your fast twitch up get your type 2 on!

Running isn't as easy as putting on foot in front of the other. besides the sagital movements you are resisting rotational forces, ignoring frontal movements. The repetition of running creates stresses in your body, find out what it is and do something about it. running ignores a lot of variables in exercise address all those and you will be better for it.