Running is a popular form of exercise, and one that requires no special equipment. You can do it almost anywhere and in the great outdoors. Plus, running offers health benefits. Studies show it improves cardiovascular health and helps with weight control.
The heart health benefits of running are enough to keep most people lacing up their running shoes. For example, running helps lower blood pressure, optimize lipids, and reduce inflammation, all of which are important for a healthy cardiovascular system. Yet there are other ways to get a cardiovascular workout.
Some people believe that running is the only exercise they need for health and fitness. But what about muscle strength? You might wonder whether running, a lower body exercise, provides enough stimulus to your lower body to strengthen it. Also, can running increase muscle size?
Does Running Build Strength?
Running at a low to moderate intensity is a form of endurance training, which is not the best way to add muscle mass. The way the muscles in your lower body adapt to steady-state exercise, like running, differs from how they adapt to strength training. When you run at a slow to moderate pace, muscle cells develop a greater ability to produce ATP through oxidative pathways endurance.
ATP is a cell’s energy currency, and by producing more, you develop greater stamina and endurance. In response, you perform better when you run and don’t fatigue as quickly. However, your muscles won’t significantly increase in size in response to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. For that, you need strength training.
One exception is sprinting, where you run fast for short distances. If you look at a sprinter, they have well-developed muscles in their lower body, unlike long-distance runners who are often slender with underdeveloped muscles.
Sprinting taps into a muscle’s anaerobic energy pathways to fuel periods of intense exercise. Sprinting makes these anaerobic pathways more efficient, and you build greater strength and power. Therefore, sprinting, in a setting of adequate nutrition, can increase muscle and strength in your quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
Since sprinting uses the hamstrings (muscles in the back of the thigh) and glutes to generate forward momentum, you would expect those muscles to experience the biggest gains in strength and muscle size. The calves and quadriceps (muscles in the front of the thighs) will also make some strength and size gains.
One study carried out by researchers at Taylor University found that older individuals who took part in a high-intensity interval training program for 10 weeks improved their cardiovascular fitness but also developed an increased in size of their quadriceps.
So, with high-intensity training, including sprinting, you can get some increase in muscle size, especially when you first start out. However, it’s unlikely you would continue to make gains since there are limited ways to add more resistance or use progressive overload. Therefore, size gains in your lower body will be limited unless you also do resistance training.
Don’t Neglect Your Upper Body
One problem with running is it doesn’t work your upper body. You get a little core work when you run, but it’s mainly your lower body doing the work. Your upper body doesn’t have to generate much force, although it generates more force when you sprint than when you run long distances. That’s why long-distance runners often have an under-developed upper body. Even if you run consistently, your workouts aren’t balanced unless you add some form of upper body and core strength training.
Even a runner who isn’t interested in increasing muscle size can benefit from strength training. Studies show that building upper body and core strength can increase running efficiency. When you run, you use your arms, back, chest, and pelvis to balance. By strengthening these muscles, you improve your running efficiency. Upper body strength training will also improve your running alignment, form, and posture.
Running is Beneficial for Your Bones
Beyond its cardiovascular benefits, another perk of running is that it enhances bone health. One of the biggest concerns women face later in life is osteoporosis. Running is a high-impact, weight-bearing exercise. This means that when you run, your joints and bones absorb the shock of your foot hitting the ground and this helps strengthen them. Your bones will become denser and stronger, which in turn makes your body more resistant to injury when exercising or playing sports.
Although running helps build and preserve bone density, high-intensity strength training and jumping are even more effective for stimulating new bone growth. So, adding strength training to your fitness routine will help preserve bone health even more.
The Bottom Line
Unless you’re a sprinter or do interval running where you sprint for short segments, running isn’t the best way to build muscle strength and size. You will build greater stamina and endurance, and enjoy the heart health benefits that running offers, but you won’t significantly increase the size of your muscles even in your lower body.
Even if you run, there are benefits to adding strength training to your routine. Otherwise, your upper body won’t get the stimulation it needs to stay strong and offset muscle loss due to aging. You can get the benefits of strength training by doing a total body strength workout at least twice per week. It’s one of the best things to do to balance out your fitness. Taking this approach will also improve how you run too.
References:
- Balsalobre-Fernández C, Santos-Concejero J, Grivas GV. Effects of Strength Training on Running Economy in Highly Trained Runners: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials. J Strength Cond Res. 2016 Aug;30(8):2361-8. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001316. PMID: 26694507.
- Rønnestad BR, Mujika I. Optimizing strength training for running and cycling endurance performance: A review. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2014 Aug;24(4):603-12. doi: 10.1111/sms.12104. Epub 2013 Aug 5. PMID: 23914932.
- “Effect of Running and Swimming on Bone Mineral Density ….” fgcu.edu/mariebcollege/rehabilitationsciences/physicaltherapy/files/Taylor_Millheim_Kenna_Valdovinos_Bonedensityposter.pdf.
- “Does Walking and Running affect Bone Density ….” 02 Nov. 2016, betterhealthfacts.com/2016/11/walking-and-running-affect-bone-density.html.
- “Does running build muscle? | Live Science.” 13 Dec. 2021, .livescience.com/does-running-build-muscle.
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