Strength Training for Runners: The Facts & Figures

Chelmsford Physio • October 25, 2024


Strength training is crucial for any runner to help reduce the risk of any injury and improve your performance.


You cant go wrong by getting strong, so check out this great article by Rich Willy: 5 Myths of Strength Training for Endurance Running.


Key Points:


1) Reduced Risk of Injury:

Resistance training can reduce the risk of overuse injuries by approximately 50% (Lauerson, Bertelsen, and Anderson, 2014).


2) Myth-Busting Weight Gain:

A common misconception is that resistance training leads to weight gain and reduces running performance. In reality, adding resistance training to an endurance program doesn’t increase total body mass.


3) Improved Performance:

Strength training can improve running economy and speed. For instance, six weeks of heavy weight training (2x per week, 4 sets of 4 reps at 80% 1RM with lunges and heel raises) improved 5km race times by nearly 4%—those who didn’t incorporate weight training saw no improvement (Karston et al., 2016).


4) Intensity Matters:

Light circuit-style resistance training doesn’t boost endurance running. Instead, runners should engage in heavy strength training after a preparatory phase of 2–4 weeks using lighter weights (2–4 sets of 15 reps).


5) Focus Beyond Glutes:

While glute muscles are important, the calf and thigh muscles play a larger role in supporting our bodies during running. The calf muscles alone contribute about 50% of the torque needed for body support while running (Willy et al., 2017). Notably, the calf's push-off strength declines by around 31% between ages 20 and 60 (Devita et al., 2016)—so keep those calves strong!


6) Mechanics, Not Myths:

Strength training won’t “fix” running mechanics. Contrary to popular belief, weak glute muscles don’t necessarily cause the knee to collapse inward, and there’s little evidence linking weak glutes to hip adduction (knee movement inward) during running (Baggaley et al., 2015).


7) Stick to Core Exercises:

Exercises that mimic running don’t necessarily translate to better running performance (Willy and Davis, 2011). Instead, focus on essential exercises like deadlifts, squats, lunges, and calf raises to build a strong foundation.


Our Physiotherapists, Sports Therapists, and Sports Massage Practitioners are available to assess injuries, formulate a bespoke treatment plan, and design a personalised rehab plan. Whether you’re dealing with a sports injury or a pain while running, we’re here to help. 


To book, call us at 01245 895410 or email hello@chelmsfordphysio.co.uk.

How Athletes Adapt Their Training to Cope with High Temperatures: The Science of Heat Acclimatisation

By Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2026
Athletes competing in hot and humid environments face significant physiological challenges that can impair performance and increase the risk of heat-related illness. From marathon runners in tropical climates to footballers playing summer tournaments, the ability to tolerate and perform in high temperatures is a critical component of elite sport. As a result, many athletes use structured heat acclimatisation strategies to prepare their bodies for environmental stress.  What Is Heat Acclimatisation? Heat acclimatisation refers to a series of physiological adaptations that occur when an athlete is repeatedly exposed to hot conditions during training. These adaptations typically develop over 7–14 days and help the body improve its ability to regulate temperature, maintain performance, and reduce cardiovascular strain during exercise in the heat. Common methods include: ● Training in hot environments (natural or artificial heat chambers) ● Passive heat exposure (saunas or hot water immersion post-training) ● Adjusting clothing to increase thermal load during sessions ● Gradual exposure to increased environmental temperatures The goal is to safely stress the thermoregulatory system so the body becomes more efficient at dissipating heat.

Why Footballers & Athletes Use Ice Baths: The Science Behind Cold Water Immersion

By Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2026
Ice baths, also known as cold water immersion (CWI), have become a common recovery strategy among elite athletes, particularly footballers. From Premier League changing rooms to Olympic training camps, many professionals immerse themselves in cold water after intense matches and training sessions. While the sight of players sitting in freezing water may seem extreme, there is growing scientific evidence explaining why this recovery method is so widely used. What Is an Ice Bath? An ice bath typically involves immersing the body (or lower limbs) in water between 10–15°C for 10–15 minutes shortly after exercise. The aim is to promote recovery by reducing muscle soreness, inflammation and fatigue, allowing athletes to perform consistently during periods of heavy training or competition. Why Do Footballers Use Ice Baths? Football is a physically demanding sport involving repeated sprinting, jumping, tackling, rapid changes of direction and high-impact collisions. These actions create microscopic muscle damage and trigger an inflammatory response. Cold water immersion is commonly used because it may help: ● Reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) ● Minimise post-exercise swelling ● Decrease perceptions of fatigue ● Improve recovery between matches ● Maintain performance during congested fixture schedules For professional footballers playing two or three matches per week, rapid recovery is often as important as training itself. 

The Physio’s World Cup Playbook: Most Common Injuries at FIFA World Cup 2026 (and What to Do About Them)

By Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2026
The FIFA World Cup is a unique tournament environment: elite athletes compressed into a short, high-stakes schedule, with repeated sprinting, sudden acceleration/deceleration, frequent collisions, and often limited time for full tissue recovery. It’s not surprising that the injury pattern in football tends to cluster around the lower limb—particularly the hamstrings, groin/hip-adductors, knee, and ankle. Across football research more broadly, these are repeatedly identified as the most common locations and/or injury mechanisms, even if the exact percentages differ by competition and injury-reporting method. Below is a physio-focused overview of the most common injury “types/regions” you should expect to see at World Cup 2026, along with practical assessment and management themes. 1) Muscle strains—especially hamstrings (HSI)  Why they happen in tournaments: Hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) are strongly associated with high-speed running and the physical demands of sprinting mechanics. In injury surveillance and football epidemiology, hamstring injuries consistently appear among the most common soft-tissue problems, with meaningful recurrence risk. What a physio will look for: - History: onset during acceleration/sprinting, feeling of “pull,” bruising (sometimes). - CNS/tissue considerations: prior injury, training load spikes, inadequate sprint exposure progression. - Clinical exam: focal tenderness, resisted muscle testing, and functional tests aligned to your local protocols (e.g., pain-free activation and lengthening tolerance). Rehabilitation themes: - Restore capacity for high-speed eccentric/concentric demands (not just range of motion). - Use progressive loading and functional return-to-play criteria to address reinjury risk—because football research highlights that the hamstring is one of the most frequently reinjured regions.