Personally, I'm always in favor of ST, however, most fail to realize the parameters needing to be considered and the justification (or when) to strength train.
The aspect that most ALWAYS neglect about this topic is that strength training MAY or MAY NOT work for someone regarding strictly performance. Will it make a person more "healthy"? Yes. Will it make someone stronger? Yes. Can certain movements prevent and rehab injury? Yes. Will this translate into performance increases for endurance athletes? Questionable. Much of this deals with the individual prescribing the ST...if they know what they're talking about, the chances of a positive outcome are increased, but more research is needed. Skip to the bottom if no one wants to read some of the studies below (keep in mind also I'm biased to which of these I pasted here from the search I did).
...this abstract alludes that specific training will generally yield specific results, but also gives the possibility that more indepth assessments are needed prior to a ST regime other than "x" weight and "y" reps will get you better. doi: 10.1519/1533-4287(2003)017<0503:CSAETT>2.0.CO;2
The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 503–508. Concurrent Strength and Endurance Training: The Influence of Dependent Variable Selection Michael Leveritt
School of Biosciences, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom Michael Leveritt, Peter J. Abernethy, and Ben Barry
School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia Peter A. Logan
Department of Exercise Physiology and Applied Nutrition, The Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra, Australia ABSTRACT Twenty-six active university students were randomly allocated to resistance (R,
n = 9), endurance (E,
n = 8), and concurrent resistance and endurance (C,
n = 9) training conditions. Training was completed 3 times per week in all conditions, with endurance training preceding resistance training in the C group. Resistance training involved 4 sets of upper- and lower-body exercises with loads of 4–8 repetition maximum (RM). Each endurance training session consisted of five 5-minute bouts of incremental cycle exercise at between 40 and 100% of peak oxygen uptake ( O2peak). Parameters measured prior to and following training included strength (1RM and isometric and isokinetic [1.04, 3.12, 5.20, and 8.67 rad·s−1] strength), O2peak and Wingate test performance (peak power output [PPO], average power, and relative power decline). Significant improvements in 1RM strength were observed in the R and C groups following training. O2peak significantly increased in E and C but was significantly reduced in R after training. Effect size (ES) transformations on the other dependent variables suggested that performance changes in the C group were not always similar to changes in the R or E groups. These ES data suggest that statistical power and dependent variable selection are significant issues in enhancing our insights into concurrent training. It may be necessary to assess a range of performance parameters to monitor the relative effectiveness of a particular concurrent training regimen.
...Same here, but also the notion of "no harm no foul" with ST... doi: 10.1519/1533-4287(1993)007<0234:CSAETO>2.3.CO;2
The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 234–240.
Concurrent Strength and Endurance Training of the Elbow Extensors Peter J. Abernethy and Brian M. Quigley
Department of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia. ABSTRACT The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of 7 weeks of concurrent strength and endurance training on the triceps brachii. Fifteen fit subjects were randomly allocated to endurance (TE), strength (TS), or concurrent (TC) training groups. Endurance training involved five 5-min bouts of incremental arm cranking at between 40 and 100% of peak arm ergometer oxygen consumption (P O2). Strength training involved two 30-s sets of maximal isokinetic contractions at 4.16 rad · sec−1. The TC group completed both strength and endurance training. P O2 and strength assessments were conducted prior to and following 2, 5, and 7 weeks of training. Isokinetic strength (T30) was determined 0.52 rad (30°) from full extension for 10 angular velocities between 0.52 and 5.20 rad · sec−1. Two weeks of training significantly increased T30 at all contractile speeds for the TS, TE, and TC conditions. T30 was further increased at all contractile speeds at Weeks 5 and 7 for the TE and TC groups, respectively. Seven weeks of training significantly increased P O2 in the TE and TC conditions, but not in the TS group.
...Possible validity for ST and competitive endurance athletes... doi: 10.1519/R-16334.1
The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 826–830.
Combining Explosive and High-Resistance Training Improves Performance in Competitive Cyclists Carl D. Paton
The Centre for Sport and Exercise Science, The Waikato Institute of Technology, Hamilton, New Zealand William G. Hopkins
Department of Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand ABSTRACT Paton, C.D., and W.G. Hopkins. Combining explosive and high-resistance training improves performance in competitive cyclists.
J. Strength Cond. Res. 19(4):826–830. 2005.— In several recent studies, athletes experienced substantial gains in sprint and endurance performance when explosive training or high-intensity interval training was added in the noncompetitive phase of a season. Here we report the effect of combining these 2 types of training on performance in the competitive phase. We randomized 18 road cyclists to an experimental (
n = 9) or control (
n = 9) group for 4–5 weeks of training. The experimental group replaced part of their usual training with twelve 30-minute sessions consisting of 3 sets of explosive single-leg jumps (20 for each leg) alternating with 3 sets of high-resistance cycling sprints (5 × 30 seconds at 60–70 min−1 with 30-second recoveries between repetitions). Performance measures, obtained over 2–3 days on a cycle ergometer before and after the intervention, were mean power in a 1- and 4-km time trial, peak power in an incremental test, and lactate-profile power and oxygen cost determined from 2 fixed submaximal workloads. The control group showed little mean change in performance. Power output sampled in the training sprints of the experimental group indicated a plateau in the training effect after 8–12 sessions. Relative to the control group, the mean changes (±90% confidence limits) in the experimental group were: 1-km power, 8.7% (±2.5%); 4-km power, 8.1% (±4.1%); peak power, 6.8% (±3.6); lactate-profile power, 3.7% (±4.8%); and oxygen cost, −3.0% (±2.6%). Individual responses to the training were apparent only for 4-km and lactate-profile power (standard deviations of 2.5% and 2.8%, respectively). The addition of explosive training and high-resistance interval training to the programs of already well-trained cyclists produces major gains in sprint and endurance performance, partly through improvements in exercise efficiency and anaerobic threshold.
...and then the abstracts that typically get misrepresented b/c people take the stance that strength training is good for injury prevention, but fail to realize physiological parameters prior to training or the specific injury mechanism (such as q-angles, ACL diameter, and muscle strength), and then lump all injury into the "strength training improves all injury prevention"... doi: 10.1519/R-13473.1
The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 703–707.
Effects of a Knee Ligament Injury Prevention Exercise Program on Impact Forces in Women Bobbie S. Irmischer, Chad Harris, Ronald P. Pfeiffer, Mark A. DeBeliso, and Kevin G. Shea
Center for Orthopaedic and Biomechanics Research, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho 83725 Kent J. Adams
Exercise Physiology Lab, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40292 Kevin G. Shea
Intermountain Orthopaedics, Boise, Idaho 83702 ABSTRACT Irmischer, B.S., C. Harris, R.P. Pfeiffer, M.A. DeBeliso, K.J. Adams, and K.G. Shea. Effects of a knee ligament injury prevention (KLIP) exercise program on impact forces in women.
J. Strength Cond. Res. 18(4):000–000. 2004.—Previous research suggests high impact forces generated during landings contribute to noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. In women, neuromuscular differences appear to modify the ability to dissipate landing forces when compared to men. This study examined peak vertical impact forces (Fp) and rate of force development (RFD) following a 9-week, low-intensity (simple jump-landing-jump tasks) and volume (number of foot contacts per workout) plyometric-based knee ligament injury prevention (KLIP) program. Female subjects were randomly assigned into control (
n = 14) and treatment (
n = 14) groups. Treatment subjects attended KLIP sessions twice a week for 9 weeks, and control subjects received no intervention. Ground reaction forces (Fp and RFD) generated during a step-land protocol were assessed at study onset and termination. Significant reductions in Fp (
p = 0.0004) and RFD (
p = 0.0205) were observed in the treatment group. Our results indicate that 9 weeks of KLIP training altered landing strategies in women to lower Fp and RFD. These changes are considered conducive to a reduced risk of knee injury while landing.
Bottom line:
1) Strength training increases strength (obviously), but it is specific gains from the adaptation
2) ST may or may not translate into increased endurance performance, but is less likely to "hurt" performance overall. You do have to consider the time factor for this one- we all have limited time, and we all know time in the saddle and pounding the pavement has been proven to make one faster, but time in the gym may not.
3) Injury prevention is specific to the predisposition of the individual and focus of the prevention. Simply "lifiting" with the hopes of injury prevention is a waste of time if that is the primary focus.
4) Muscles ARE cool (awesome statement Triple- very honest, direct and to the point).
5) Most who ST have no idea why and will often take the advice of some yahoo shamon in the middle of the chinese rain forest as gospel, as well as the "miracle" Rx to go with it. The 30-60 minutes spent ST-ing would probably be better spent on the S/B/R, or learning how to ST more effectively so they spend less time in the gym and possibly getting the advantages from it (or likewise not making themselves slower).
If done correctly, ST may or may not make you a better athlete, and will provide better health and fitness. Done incorrectly, and performance may suffer some, but not enough for most of us to care or notice.
See everyone at the races- hopefully looking like muscle-toned stud's and studette's rather than little boys and girls...
Rob
http://www.reathcon.com