Likewise many runners also believe that strength training like squats, deadlifts and other power lifting staples can make you faster, more powerful, more efficient and less injury prone.
Ever wonder what sort of strength training do top runners do? Blagrove et al (2020) did a survey of 667 distance runners (local to internationally competitive) about their strength and conditioning exercises. Most common was stretching (86.2 percent), core training (70.2 percent), weight training (62.5 percent) and plyometric training (35.1 percent).
What was most interesting was the motivation these runners reported for the strength and conditioning routines. There were 2 main answers. Reducing injury risk (63.1 percent) and improving performance (53.8 percent). There was no relationship found between strength and conditioning training and injury history in runners. The key predictor of injury was training volume. The more you ran, the more likely you would get injured.
In another systematic review published last month, Blagrove and colleagues (Wu et al, 2024) found that strength and conditioning does not appear to reduce the risk and rate of running related injuries (RRI). Please bear in mind that Richard Blagrove has authored a book Strength And Conditioning For Endurance Running and worked with many elite runners on their strength routines in case you think he is against strength training.
Their systematic review consist of 9 articles with 1,904 runners. Exercises done include lunges, squats, plyometric hops/ jumps, core routines, foot strengthening etc. Given the wide variety of of regimens, there was NO significant benefit for the exercise groups compared to the control group in injury risk (runners who got injured during the studies) or injury rate (how many injuries they suffered for a given amount of running).
For now that is the state and level of evidence we have with regards to strength and conditioning exercises preventing RRI. Strange that this approach (strength and conditioning) has robust evidence that it works in soocer, but not in running.
What was most interesting is that 3 of the studies that produced the lowest injury risk also happened to be the 3 studies where the exercise routines was supervised rather than assigned to be performed at home. Research shows that people tend to get bigger gains when they have a spotter or trainer looking on. Similarly, runners tend to run their intervals faster and more consistently when the coach is standing on the track with a stopwatch in hand. It could also be the only way to ensure people actually do the strength and conditioning exercises.
I can remember many patients who come for a follow up visit claiming they have done their exercises diligently but cannot do it when asked to demonstrate it. A strengthening exercise can only work if you actually do it and have done it correctly.
Take home message? If the study (Wu et al, 2024) is true, strength training or other forms of exercise may not lower your risk of getting injured while running. Even though the logic is sound and evidence from other sports is positive. However, there is very good evidence that strength training improves running economy and boosts long term health. It would be nice to get injury prevention as an added bonus but it still sounds like a good deal to me. So I will still strength train.
Researchers need to have more robust studies that include supervised interventions to investigate further.
References
Blagrove RC, Brown N, Howatson G et al (2020). Strength And Conditioning Habits Of Competitive Distance Runners. J Stren Cond Res. 349(5): 1392-1399. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002261.
Wu H, Brooke-Wavell K, Fong DTP et al (2024). Do Exercise-Based Prevention Programs Reduce Injury In Endurance Runners? A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-024-01993-7.
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