Acute Effects of Plyometric and Resistance Training on Running Economy in Trained Runners

Plyometric Training Practices of Brazilian Olympic Sprint and Jump Coaches: Toward a Deeper Understanding of Their Choices and Insights

Plyometric training is extensively used by coaches to enhance neuromuscular performance in a wide variety of sports. Due to the high demands of sprint speed and power output in elite sprinters and jumpers, sprint and jump coaches are likely to have great knowledge on this topic. Undoubtedly, this expertise is even more pronounced for Olympic coaches, who work with some of the fastest and most powerful athletes in the world, and who are required to continually maintain these athletes at optimal performance levels. Describing and discussing the practices commonly adopted by these coaches in detail and extrapolating this experience to other sport coaching contexts and disciplines may be extremely relevant. The current article presents, explores, and illustrates the plyometric training practices of Brazilian Olympic sprint and jump coaches, with a special focus on training programming and exercise selection.

Acute Neuromuscular, Physiological and Performance Responses After Strength Training in Runners: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Strength training (ST) is commonly used to improve muscle strength, power, and neuromuscular adaptations and is recommended combined with runner training. It is possible that the acute effects of the strength training session lead to deleterious effects in the subsequent running. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to verify the acute effects of ST session on the neuromuscular, physiological and performance variables of runners.

Methods

Studies evaluating running performance after resistance exercise in runners in the PubMed and Scopus databases were selected. From 6532 initial references, 19 were selected for qualitative analysis and 13 for meta-analysis. The variables of peak torque (P_T), creatine kinase (CK), delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), countermovement jump (CMJ), ventilation (VE), oxygen consumption (VO₂), lactate (La) and heart rate (HR) were evaluated.

Results

The methodological quality of the included studies was considered reasonable; the meta-analysis indicated that the variables P_T (p = 0.003), DOMS (p < 0.0001), CK (p < 0.0001), RPE (p < 0.0001) had a deleterious effect for the experimental group; for CMJ, VE, VO₂, La, FC there was no difference. By qualitative synthesis, running performance showed a reduction in speed for the experimental group in two studies and in all that assessed time to exhaustion.

Conclusion

The evidence indicated that acute strength training was associated with a decrease in P_T, increases in DOMS, CK, RPE and had a low impact on the acute responses of CMJ, VE, VO₂, La, HR and submaximal running sessions.

Resistance Exercise for Improving Running Economy and Running Biomechanics and Decreasing Running-Related Injury Risk: A Narrative Review

It is well-accepted that at least a certain amount of resistance exercise (RE) is recommended for most endurance athletes. In this review, we aim to summarize the evidence regarding the effects of RE on running economy, running biomechanics, and running-related injury risk in endurance runners. The evidence robustly shows that lower limb RE is effective for improving running economy and performance, with a combination of strength and plyometric training being recommended to improve RE. Isometric training is also emerging as a possible alternative to implement during periods of high overall training load. Lower limb RE may change some aspects of joint kinematics during running; however, the evidence regarding the effects on kinetics is limited. Lower limb RE may help reduce running-related injury risk, but further evidence is needed.

The acute effect of a multi-modal plyometric training session on field-specific performance measures

BACKGROUND

Plyometric and resistance exercises are known to cause exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Thus, this study examined the impact of EIMD on various field-specific performance measures following a training session that combined plyometric and resistance exercises.

METHODS

Nine competitive Ultimate Frisbee players undertook a training session consisting of several modes of plyometric and resistance exercises. Indirect markers of muscle damage (i.e., creatine kinase [CK] and delayed onset of muscle soreness [DOMS]) and field-specific performance measures (i.e., run-up vertical jump, standing broad jump, linear sprint and repeated agility) were measured prior to, 24 hours (T24) and 48 hours (T48) post training.

RESULTS

The combined plyometric and resistance training session significantly increased muscle damage markers at T24 (CK: 326.5±210.4% and DOMS: 343.3±181.6%) and T48 (CK: 969.2±1262.3% and DOMS: 371.1±179.3%). The jump performance measures were significantly reduced at T24 (run-up vertical jump -5.5±6.3% and standing broad jump -4.7±3.7%) and T48 (run-up vertical jump -4.2±5.1% and standing broad jump -5.0±4.4%). Furthermore, completion times for linear sprint performance was significantly increased at T24 (4.5±3.4%) and T48 (7.2±4.2%), whilst the average completion time for the repeated agility protocol was significantly increased at T24 (1.4±1.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Competitive team sport athletes may require at least 48 hours of recovery when implementing field-based conditioning sessions after a training session that combines plyometrics and resistance exercises, particular if unfamiliar with such training modalities.

A Plyometric Warm-Up Protocol Improves Running Economy in Recreational Endurance Athletes

This study explored the impact of two differing warm-up protocols (involving either resistance exercises or plyometric exercises) on running economy (RE) in healthy recreationally active participants. Twelve healthy university students [three males, nine females, age 20 ± 2 years, maximal oxygen uptake (38.4 ± 6.4 ml min^–1 kg^–1)] who performed less than 5 h per week of endurance exercise volunteered to participant in this study. All participants completed three different warm-up protocols (control, plyometric, and resistance warm-up) in a counterbalanced crossover design with trials separated by 48 h, using a Latin-square arrangement. Dependent variables measured in this study were RE at four running velocities (7, 8, 9, and 10 km h^–1), maximal oxygen uptake; heart rate; respiratory exchange rate; expired ventilation; perceived race readiness; rating of perceived exertion, time to exhaustion and leg stiffness. The primary finding of this study was that the plyometric warm-up improved RE compared to the control warm-up (6.2% at 7 km h^–1, ES = 0.355, 9.1% at 8 km h^–1, ES = 0.513, 4.5% at 9 km h^–1, ES = 0.346, and 4.4% at 10 km h^–1, ES = 0.463). There was no statistically significant difference in VO₂ between control and resistance warm-up conditions at any velocity. There were also no statistically significant differences between conditions in other metabolic and pulmonary gas exchange variables; time to exhaustion; perceived race readiness and maximal oxygen uptake. However, leg stiffness increased by 20% (P = 0.039, ES = 0.90) following the plyometric warm-up and was correlated with the improved RE at a velocity of 8 km h^–1 (r = 0.475, P = 0.041). No significant differences in RE were found between the control and resistance warm-up protocols. In comparison with the control warm-up protocol, an acute plyometric warm-up protocol can improve RE in healthy adults.

Development in Adolescent Middle-Distance Athletes: A Study of Training Loadings, Physical Qualities, and Competition Performance

Jones, TW, Shillabeer, BC, Ryu, JH, and Cardinale, M. Development in adolescent middle-distance athletes: a study of training loadings, physical qualities, and competition performance. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2019-The purpose of this study was to examine changes in running performance and physical qualities related to middle-distance performance over a training season. The study also examined relationships between training loading and changes in physical qualities as assessed by laboratory and field measures. Relationships between laboratory and field measures were also analyzed. This was a 9-month observational study of 10 highly trained adolescent middle-distance athletes. Training intensity distribution was similar over the observational period, whereas accumulated and mean distance and training time and accumulated load varied monthly. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) and large effect sizes (Cohen's d) (>0.80) were observed for improvements in: body mass (5.6%), 600-m (4.6%), 1,200-m (8.7%), and 1,800-m (6.1%) time trial performance, critical speed (7.1%), V[Combining Dot Above]O2max (5.5%), running economy (10.1%), vertical stiffness (2.6%), reactive index (3.8%), and countermovement jump power output relative to body mass (7.9%). Improvements in 1,800 m TT performance were correlated with increases in V[Combining Dot Above]O2max (r = 0.810, p = 0.015) and critical speed (r = 0.918, p = 0.001). Increases in V[Combining Dot Above]O2max and critical speed were also correlated (r = 0.895, p = 0.003). Data presented here indicate that improvements in critical speed may be reflective of changes in aerobic capacity in adolescent middle-distance athletes.