Impact of Resistance Training on Endurance Performance

Abstract

In accordance with the principles of training specificity, resistance and endurance training induce distinct muscular adaptations. Endurance training, for example, decreases the activity of the glycolytic enzymes, but increases intramuscular substrate stores, oxidative enzyme activities, and capillary, as well as mitochondrial, density. In contrast, resistance or strength training reduces mitochondrial density, while marginally impacting capillary density, metabolic enzyme activities and intramuscular substrate stores (except muscle glycogen). The training modalities do induce one common muscular adaptation: they transform type IIb myofibres into IIa myofibres. This transformation is coupled with opposite changes in fibre size (resistance training increases, and endurance training decreases, fibre size), and, in general, myofibre contractile properties. As a result of these distinct muscular adaptations, endurance training facilitates aerobic processes, whereas resistance training increases muscular strength and anaerobic power. Exercise performance data do not fit this paradigm, however, as they indicate that resistance training or the addition of resistance training to an ongoing endurance exercise regimen, including running or cycling, increases both short and long term endurance capacity in sedentary and trained individuals. Resistance training also appears to improve lactate threshold in untrained individuals during cycling. These improvements may be linked to the capacity of resistance training to alter myofibre size and contractile properties, adaptations that may increase muscular force production. In contrast to running and cycling, traditional dry land resistance training or combined swim and resistance training does not appear to enhance swimming performance in untrained individuals or competitive swimmers, despite substantially increasing upper body strength. Combined swim and swim-specific 'in-water' resistance training programmes, however, increase a competitive swimmer's velocity over distances up to 200 m. Traditional resistance training may be a valuable adjunct to the exercise programmes followed by endurance runners or cyclists, but not swimmers; these latter athletes need more specific forms of resistance training to realise performance improvement.

Comparison of Seminal Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) Activity Between Elite Athletes, Active and Non Active Men

“…To the best of our knowledge, the present study provides the first evidence that elite athletes have an augmented SOD capacity than recreationally active and sedentary control men. Although there is no definitive explanation for this discrepancy, but the notion that high maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2max ), which is a consequence of systemic endurance training (Tanaka and Swensen, 1998), are correlated to elevated antioxidant enzyme activity in other tissues (Jenkins et al, 1984), can explain some of the disparities in our study. These observations suggest that the fitness level of subject as well as the type and amount of exercise training could be taken into consideration when comparing antioxidant capacity of active people.…”

The effect of 8-week thera-band exercises on male swimmers’ 100 m freestyle swimming performance

“…Elastic bands can be used to strengthen certain muscle groups that machines cannot function in a certain muscle group, and also allow exercises to develop flexibility and balance (Selçuk, 2014).At the same time, in exercise with Thera-Band, we can say that only the speed and the number of repetitions can be changed to achieve weight loss, body tightness, general strength and conditioning. When the information in the literature is assessed, it is indicated that a well-planned combination of applied swimming and strength trainings are needed to improve strength training and swimming performance (Tanaka and Swensen, 1998).…”

Treino de corrida não interfere no desempenho de força de membros superiores

“…Nesse contexto, o organismo não conseguiria se adaptar a esses estí-mulos concorrentes de maneira adequada. Conseqüentemente, essa combinação de estímulos acarretaria prejuízo no processo crônico de adaptação ao treinamento físico (1,9,10) . As evidências experimentais que suportam essa hipótese são escassas (1) .…”