Research
Mixed
Strength training does not significantly affect maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), velocity at VO2max, blood lactate levels, or body composition in middle- and long-distance runners.
Do not expect strength training to increase your VO2max or change your body weight significantly. Its primary benefit lies in improving running economy and sprint speed, not aerobic capacity or body composition.
GoodRefutesMEDIUM confidence
Maximal oxygen uptake, blood lactate parameters, and body composition appear to be unaffected by the addition of ST to a distance runner’s program
Why this rating
Based on systematic review of 24 studies, though results were inconsistent across all studies.
Source
Effects of Strength Training on the Physiological Determinants of Middle- and Long-Distance Running Performance: A Systematic Review
Richard C. Blagrove et al. · Sports Medicine · 2017
DOI 10.1007/s40279-017-0835-7
systematic_review · n=469Cited 204×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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