When it comes to fitness, running is one of the first activities that anyone thinks of and is one of the most common forms of exercise in the U.S.
If you're a runner, or considering taking it up, have you ever taken the time to ask yourself why this is?
With any fitness or health goal, it is crucial that the method and overall program are designed for the purpose of obtaining a specific desired outcome. The goal comes first. Far too many people set out with a desired goal in mind and then arbitrarily choose a method without really considering whether it will be effective.
This is often the case with jogging. If a person is jogging because it's therapeutic, a good way to commune with friends, or because he or she just wants to spend some time outside, then it's great. Those goals are met neatly by a nice run.
But what if a person is jogging to lose weight, improve overall fitness, or improve performance in a competitive sport?
An increasingly common adage in the fitness industry is that one must train to run, not run to train.
At the U.S. Olympic marathon trials, Ryan Hall set the Trial's record with a 2:09:02 finish while beating his nearest competitor by over two minutes. This is impressive in itself, but the most interesting part is that Hall didn't run his first marathon until April of 2007. Hall was a miler. The majority of his running consisted of 1500 and 1600 meters, with a few 4000 and 5000 meter races. He never did anything that involved running more than an hour.
It seems that there is a bit more to running performance than just adding on miles. Research from around the world has shown that strength training can substantially improve running ecinomy. One study replaced 1/3 of a running group's endurance training with strength training. The strength training group improved 5km run times, 20m sprint times, running economy, VO2Max and performance on a 5-jump test. The endurance group's only improvement was in VO2Max.
What about losing weight, and general health?
A study comparing steady-state endurance training to interval training found that the interval group lost 900% more fat than the joggers. That's a short term result. What about long term?
Endurance training encourages a decrease in lean muscle mass. This is the body's way of increasing efficiency. Jogging requires very little muscle mass, and any extra muscle is metabolically demanding. More muscle requires more energy, so the less muscle mass that is carried, the less energy needed to maintain the activity. Fat tissue, however, doesn't demand much energy, so it's less of a priority for your body to lose.
Lean muscle mass is a primary factor in resting metabolic rate. This means that the less muscle mass one carries, the slower one's metabolism becomes. Over time, unless a low-calorie diet is followed to match this metabolic rate, a slower metabolism will result in increased storage of body fat. Less muscle now equals more fat later.
This is also where health becomes a factor. Endurance training has been shown to compromise the immune system. Many marathon runners cope with constant minor infections and cold/flu like symptoms. It also diminishes testosterone levels (bad for men and women) and compromises the endocrine system in general. Strength training on the other hand, is proven to boost the immune system and enhance the endocrine system.
All of these factors come into play when one chooses a means of attaining a goal. Sure, jogging is a great way to get some sun and spend some time with friends. But if you're doing so with the hopes of dropping a substantial amount of body fat, boosting your health or performing better at your chosen sport, you may want to pick something else at least a portion of the time. Running certainly has its benefits, but those benefits are much better realized in conjunction with a well-developed strength program.
