The Benefits of Strength Training for Ageing Athletes

Want to go further, faster, and stronger with less effort than before? We thought so.

As the Level of competition in masters athletics has increased, more attention is being given to advance training methods, including strength training. Let’s take a look at how masters athletes are successfully integrating strength training in their exercise plan.

Strength Training Improves Muscular Economy

Strength training pays off by improving the economy of your movement. Economy refers to the steady-rate of oxygen used at a specific velocity. In layman's terms, it means that you use less energy for the same power production or distance traveled. What’s more exciting is that some research implies that it may be easier to improve economy with age. Changes in VO2 max can’t take the credit for this one, though.

A study comparing cycling efficiency in masters endurance athletes to younger athletes with similar fitness levels, found that master athletes efficiency improves more when given the same stimulus. After the same training period, cycling efficiency was significantly increased in masters, while observed as only a trend in younger counterparts. (2)

Endurance athletes are no strangers to the hosts of aches and pains that come with overambitious exercise. The only way to solve this problem is by backing off and working out your imbalances.

Strength gains can bring about profound upgrades on motor control and neuromuscular efficiency; the ability to recruit more muscles to produce force. The stronger you are, the more efficiently you’ll move. This leads to enhanced endurance because it takes less work to do certain activities or movements. (5, 7)

What Kind of Strength Training is Best?

Time to hit the heavy weights. Maximal power output and force development have historically been overlooked in the world of endurance sports. However, growing evidence says the opposite; average and maximal power output are crucial to the outcome of your event. (6)

Current research finds that heavy and/or explosive training improves both running and cycling performance, with more sizable benefits on the bike.

Maximum Strength Training aims to peak strength and muscle force development. It’s typically performed at higher intensities (75%-95% of 1 rep max) with lower volumes (below 5 reps per set). It can involve several different modes of training including....

Combining high-force, low-velocity (HFLV) training and low-force, high-velocity (LFHV) training tends to be most beneficial to endurance athletes. HFLV training utilises heavy weights with fewer repetitions, while LFHV is lighter with more repetitions. (6)

The best performance is seen when they’re combined.

Level Up Your Muscle Fibres.

The decline in performance that’s expected with age is related to loss of power and a specific type of muscle fibre. It starts in the early-to-late 30s with subtle changes in fine motor control. In due course, age brings loss of type II muscle fibres and sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss). (11)

How do we turn this bus around? One of the greatest benefits of strength training: The ol’ switcheroo in muscle fibres.

Type II muscle fibres (i.e. fast twitch) fire rapidly and fatigue quickly. They get you up the hill and help you pull ahead when you’re in an all-out-sprint. There are a couple of different types of fast twitch fibres:

Type IIX fibres are the “couch potato” muscle fibres. At rest, they don’t use too much fuel, but they wear out easily if you need to use them.

Type IIA fibres are Division 1 muscle fibres. They’re fatigue resistant, and bring more speed, strength, and power to your performance.

A recent study found that 16 weeks of heavy strength training produced a more favourable ratio of IIA fibres in elite cyclists. Maximal strength training is also suggested to maximise cycling performance. (1)

Additional research has shown improvements in endurance performance with delayed activation of type IIX fibres. When converted to type IIA fibres, neuromuscular efficiency improves. Maximal strength gains and force development work are also further developed. (7, 8)

How Much of a Good Thing?

The older we get, the harder it is to recover from training. Masters athletes have to face a unique set of challenges to reach peak performance. Due to family commitments and work demands, most follow detailed and structured training schedules.

Maintaining a high-intensity training regimen is the most important means of sustaining top endurance performance in masters athletes. (10) And it comes as no surprise, strength training has also received recognition for improving efficiency, coordination, and overall economy. Most research details 2-3 sessions of maximal strength training per week with concurrent endurance training seems to be the sweet spot for maximising aerobic power.

The primary goals of any successful training program are to optimise performance and decrease likelihood of injury. This means that when implementing any strength training, the coach and athlete must consider the multifaceted complexity of a harmonised program. (6)

Pump up the Protein.

With advancing age, muscle deterioration is inevitable. Although beneficial, intensifying training will cause additional recovery demands, especially with strength training. This means nutrition is more important than ever.

Dialling in protein amounts can make or break the speed of recovery, and ultimately performance. Reduced net muscle protein synthesis should be counterbalanced by increased protein intake.

To mitigate age-related muscle tissue declines, general recommendations are to increase your protein intake to roughly 1.2g/kg per day. During periods of higher intensity training where those muscles are especially taxed, masters athletes should shoot for even higher amounts. This means up to 1.7 g/kg of protein each day. (12)

A masters endurance athlete weighing 68 kg / 150 lbs should consume 116 grams of protein per day for optimal muscle protein synthesis.

Timing matters, too. Focusing on protein intake within an hour or two after training is crucial. Spacing out protein intake throughout the day, known as protein pulsing, also maximises muscle protein synthesis and recovery from training.

If the same 68 kg / 150 lb athlete were to space out their intake throughout 4-5 meals, each meal would contain roughly 25 grams of protein (.4 g/kg).

Recent research has also shown benefits in supplementing upwards of 40 grams of pre-sleep protein. During periods of strength training, optimising overnight recovery to further increase strength gains is key to performance improvements. (13)

Start now.

Masters athletes are capable of remarkable athletic performance despite advances in age. Even if you’re a stranger to the weight room, the research is in your favour. An old dog can learn new tricks, and it can even pay off more as an older athlete.

With a balanced training approach and attention to recovery, you can make significant endurance gains within a couple of weeks of complementary strength training. Go get it.

About the Author

Katie Cox is a 2020-2021 Dietetic student intern completing her final undergraduate year at the University of Cincinnati in preparation of becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. INFINIT Nutrition is proud to partner with the University of Cincinnati's Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CPD) to provide our next generation of nutrition professionals an opportunity to spend time with the INFINIT Team and gain real-life experience of working at a sports nutrition company.

References

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