cross country help

[stfdsfinest]

hey im 16 years old and gonna be a junior in high school this will be my 3rd year of cross country. i was wondering if anyone could recomend any supplements and body building workouts for 3 mile runners. i heard protein is bad for runners over 1 mile in a runners world magazine. please help....thanks!!!!!!!
or you can im me on AIM or AOL...StfdsFinest

[fido]

if your a runner, you should not be bodybuilding, extra muscle will only slow you down.
I don't think protein could hurt, although its probably not necessary.

[stfdsfinest]

for all those who told me protein isnt bad for running heres what runners world mag had to say on the topic in their august 2002 issue:::::


"University of Connecticut study of very fit distance runners has added more proof to what we've always preached, namely that running and high-protein diets don't usually mix. The connecticut study found that runners following a high-protein diet for 4 weeks suffered from dehydration, and showed signs of kidney strain resulting from the excess protein in their bodies. In general, athletes should not comsume high-protein diets, they increase dehydration and appear to have negative effects on cardiovascular disease and kidney function, said nutritionist alysun deckert (m.s, r.d).

[Redstone]

Be skeptical of the results you read about with studies. Some studies are very well done, and others aren't. And even a well done study may not tell you what you need to know.

For example, the study mentions a high protein diet. Does it say what they consider high protein? Some people might think 1 gram of protein for kilogram of body weight is high, while others might think 4 grams per is high.

How did the people get the protein? Was it through supplementation or change in actual food? With either one, there were other chemicals/nutrients entering the body which may have been the cause for dehydration instead of the higher protein.

What was the condition of the subjects before the test? Were they sprinters, middle distancers, or marathoners?

There's plenty of other questions that could be asked, but the point is the study may not be telling you what you think it's telling you.

I would suggest you try a bit of experimentation on yourself. You've got 2 years of data already by analyzing your running over the last two years.

As for bodybuilding or weight training, again, experiment a bit. When I was in high school, our fastest cross country runner was leg pressing 400 lbs. Now, he might have been fast just because he was fast, and not because he lifted, or any other host of reasons, but he believed in it and I don't think weight training slowed him down.

If you want to "bodybuild", I agree with fido that adding extra weight, especially to your upper body, will tend to slow you down. But experiment a bit, leg presses, hamstring curls, calf raises, could give you an improvement.

[Retardo-pex]

Yeah that study said "high protein diets" which usually means high protein but low carbs and fats. There is no magic supplement that will help you excell at your sport but I have read creatione helps a bit with endurance.

[Bicepboy680]

if your a runner, you should not be bodybuilding, extra muscle will only slow you down.
I don't think protein could hurt, although its probably not necessary.

really? cuz i lift and i do XC and i got my time down by a minute during the season lol.

[101pro]

strength training to improve distance running should be aimed at improving running economy. Running economy is basically how many calories/how much energy you spend running a given distance. If you spend less energy you have improved your running economy this will allow you to either run a given distance at a faster pace or run a longer distance at the same pace.

Dont confuse running economy with VO2max/aerobic fitness/capacity. They are vastly different and both are components of a successful runner. VO2 is the maximal capacity of your aerobic energy system. Basically in laymans terms it is the maximal intensity you can exert running (max speed) while still using your aerobic energy system.

VO2 is improves via running (your XC practices) and the adaptations occur in your cardiovascular system (increases in stroke volume, mitochondrial density, cappilarization).

Running Economy improves via adaptations that allow you to utilize stored elastic energy in the tendons and myofascia (PEC and SEC). Basically on foot strike they stretch like rubberbands and snap back which aids propulsion. Kenyans statistically have much lower VO2max's than caucasian runners (they are less aerobically fit) but they are much more economical and that is why they tend to dominate distance running.

Infact Running economy has been called THE CRITICAL FACTOR in distance running performance.

So now how do you improve running economy?

Research has shown that training in the 4-6 rep max range improves running economy as well as doing plyometrics.

So a workout can be something simple like starting strength or even Barry Ross' program

Pick 1 big leg movement (I would alternate 1 day of squatting and 1 day of RDL's) and 1 or 2 upper body movements and do 3-5 sets of 4-6 reps. I would complex the leg movement with a plyometric exercise. So something like

Day 1

Front Squat 4x5 ss w/
Altitude drop 4x5
Bench press 4x5
DB Row 4x5

Day 2

RDL 4x5 ss w/
Alternate Leg Bounding 4x5/leg
Shoulder Press 4x5
Chin Up 4x5

This would be a great OFF SEASON set up. In season I tend to like lower intensities and methods like paused reps. like a pause squat where you hold at the bottom for a 3 count and then stand up. for sets of 3-5 (the holds will force you to use lighter weights). I like using the in season to re focus on perfect form in the weight room. Cause when the weights get heavy form gets a little sloppy. The decreased focus on strength in season, we don't want to interfere with competitions, means that you can focus more on coaching perfect form that way when off season comes their form will be better and the guys won;t feel beat up. I also like to use lower intensity plyos for higher rep counts. So drills like line hops, power skips, etc...

Finally be sure every workout begins with some good core work and glute activation.

FWIW I was a Div 1 SC coach for cross country and did my masters thesis on strength training for distance runners!

[gatovolador]

^^^ Very solid advice. For distance running, weights are for improving economy and fighting nasty imbalances/prehab.

[Bicepboy680]

I'm a middle school runner. If ur gonna lift make sure you stay lean u want to have a super strong core too. Go online and search "the runners ten" it's very effective lol

[NewlyImproved]

Just run baby! Seriously, the lifts you need to focus on are minimal. Powerclean helps with your overall speed and explosiveness, which brings down your 400 time, which has causation towards improving a 5K. Core, is extremely improtance, not necessarily abs, but hip strength. Hurdle mobility drills, and plyometrics help more than anything.

If you do squat, do it light. It can help you, but you walk a fine line from getting a negative affect.

Another thing lifting is good at is leaning you up, however more muscle mass means more mass your body has to carry oxygen to. 1% weight loss adds up to 1% score in the VO2 test, Ceteris Paribus.

I would just focus on running every day, twice a day 3 days a week, plyometrics starting out 2 days a week, maybe some light weights 2 days a week, and building upon a weekly long run adding 5 mins every week. Don't go over 12-13 miles at your age on these Long runs, and keep them easy. Your simply building capillary volume at 16.

[NewlyImproved]

Ohh, and your age pay no attention to diet. This sounds amateurish, but it was some of the best advice I was ever given that I took seriously, and keeps you level headed.

[mashen]

just do you different running drills,and cross training plyometrics and youll be in good shape

[danyul115]

I am in your exact same situation. I like cytomax before a meet.