Does strength training prevent running injuries? Some claim no, it’s a waste of energy – while others swear it’s all you need to stay healthy as you pile on the miles. In reality, the answer is a lot more nuanced than either extreme claim. Keep reading to learn if strength training reduces your risk of running injuries – and how to implement it into your routine.
Does strength training prevent running injuries?
Whether acute or overuse, the causes of running injuries are multifactorial. Musculoskeletal “load capacity” is considered one of the causes (according to this 2017 review.) Our bones, muscles, and tendons can only tolerate so much loading – running – before incurring injury.
How much you run is part of that load capacity – that’s why higher volume runners are more likely to get injured. However, strength training may improve the load capacity. Theoretically, the stronger your muscles and tendons, the more running volume and intensity they can tolerate.
Additionally, biomechanical imbalances may contribute to running injury risk. Ask any runner who has ever gone to PT – the injured side of the body tends to be weaker. For example, if one calf is weaker than the other, it cannot handle the load – and is more likely to strain. Strength training reduces strength imbalances, especially if unilateral work is incorporated.
What research says on strength training and injury prevention
A 2020 randomized controlled trial in Sports Health tested for correlation between strength training and injury rates in first-time marathoners. The study followed 720 runners for twelve weeks prior to the New York City Marathon.
One group was control, while the other group was instructed to follow a 10-minute bodyweight strength program twice per week. The self-reported strength group and control group had no significant differences in injury rates (7.1 vs 7.3%).
Rather than interpret this data to say that strength training does not interact with injury risk, the researchers stated that 10-minutes of bodyweight strength may not be enough to reduce injury risk. First-time marathoners have an inherently high risk of injury and may need more intervention.
A 2023 study examined the impact of a twice weekly, 20-minute strength training routine (plus 10 minutes of foam rolling) for 18 weeks on injury, compared to a control group. (All runners were uninjured for at least 6 months and averaged a minimum of 9 miles/15km per week for a year.) The researchers further divided the strength training group into high, intermediate, and low compliance.
Over the 18 weeks, the highly compliant group (completing 32-40 strength sessions over 18 weeks) had an 85% lower likelihood of injury compared to the control group. Strength training also extended time until injury; if a member of the highly compliant group was injured, it was an average of 55 days longer into the program than the control group.
From those two studies alone, we already see that you need a certain dosage. Maybe 18 weeks makes more difference than 12 weeks, or maybe 20 minutes makes more difference than 10 minutes. If you want to use strength training as a method for reducing injury risk, plan on making two to three sessions of 20-30 minutes a regular and consistent part of your training.
Strength training improves bone mineral density
Running itself does not improve bone mineral density. In fact, the more you run, the lower your bone mineral density may be.
Strength training, when done properly, improves bone mineral density. A 2018 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared BMD amongst resistance-trained runners, non-resistance trained runners, and an untrained control group. The resistance-trained group demonstrated significant improvements in bone density, including in the injury-prone lumbar spine and femoral neck. The running only group was not significantly different than the untrained control group.
Infographic republished with permission.
For optimal bone density, resistance training should: (1) use weights that challenge the athlete (not light weights that let you do endless reps) and (2) include total body movements that load the spine (such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, etc.)
Importantly, strength training improves bone mineral density in the context of an adequate diet. You cannot build healthy, strong bones if you are chronically undereating. If you add strength training into a running plan, you will likely need to eat more to support the increase in training load.
Read this article to learn more about how to improve bone density and reduce stress fracture risk.
Too much strength training may impair recovery
Runners tend to believe that more is automatically superior: more mileage is better, more intensity is better, etc. The concepts of balanced training load and diminishing returns are ignored for the security blanket of more work for the sake of work. This logical fallacy is often applied to strength training – if some helps, more must be better.
However, it’s important to think about the acute impacts of resistance training. Long-term, it can improve bone mineral density, tendon strength, and lean muscle mass. However, each resistance training session causes acute microdamage to the muscles. (The body’s repair of this microdamage is how you get stronger).
Fatigue also increases your risk of injury, both during lifting and running. If you are so fatigued from too much lifting and running that you are lifting frequently with poor form, your injury risk will likely increase. The same is true if you lift so much that you frequently run with compromised form.
You do not need to lift weights every day – or even four days per week. Too much weight lifting could inhibit your ability to recover from your running.
Likewise, lifting to failure is not recommended for runners. You do not want to entirely break down your body during a lifting session, especially if you are also running!
Instead, aim for two to three strength training workouts per week, and ensure you still have a weekly rest day.
How to use strength training to reduce injury risk
Lifting weights can reduce your risk of injury, by strengthening bones, muscles, and tendons. You only need two to three lifts per week to achieve this. Importantly, you need to lift relatively heavier weights to build muscle and improve bone mineral density.
If you are brand new to strength training, start with bodyweight exercises for a couple of months before adding weight. Lifting with poor form will only increase your injury risk, so it is essential to learn good form without load first.
Once you are comfortable, progress to lifting weights that challenge you – but do not lift to failure. Most strength coaches who work with runners recommend using higher weights and doing lower reps. For example, you may choose to do 3 sets of 6-10 reps, using weights that feel like an RPE 7-8/10. You want to feel like you could do three or so reps more in each set before failure.
Importantly, you cannot rely solely on strength training to protect you from running-related injuries. Lifting weights is not a panacea, especially if you neglect proper recovery. You need sleep and enough carbs/protein/calories for your tissues to repair.
A well-rounded injury risk reduction protocol includes:
Want to learn more about what can cause injury – and what actually doesn’t? Listen to episode 99 of the Tread Lightly Podcast!
