Strength training emphasises force and velocity. Force refers to the amount of physical power exerted by muscles during an exercise, while velocity pertains to the speed at which a movement is performed. In strength training, the interplay between force and velocity is critical for developing different types of muscular capabilities. Balancing these elements is essential for a well-rounded training regimen, enabling athletes to improve not only their maximal force production but also their ability to generate force quickly, which is crucial for many sports and functional movements.
Central to understanding this balance is the force-velocity curve, which illustrates the inverse relationship between the force a muscle can generate and the velocity at which it contracts. This mathematical curve is a key principle in sports science and strength training, guiding how athletes can optimise their training to enhance specific performance attributes, and, therefore, achieve optimum event-day performance and outcomes.
Ultrarunning, on the other hand, is a sub-optimal sport. During an ultramarathon, runners are neither working at their force potential (i.e., lifting the maximum they can, a la powerlifters), nor are they working at their velocity potential (i.e., running at their fastest, a la sprinters). As a ‘strictly in the middle’ sport, ultrarunners can get away with being ‘the most OK fit people’ in sport. A focus on cardiovascular endurance and nutrition is all but what’s needed for finishing trail, mountain and ultra-distance races.
Understanding how force and velocity interact can enhance performance, prevent injuries, and optimise training strategies even in the context of long-distance running. In this blog post, we'll delve into the relevance of the force-velocity curve for ultrarunners, exploring how strength training can be effectively integrated into their training plans to support endurance, efficiency, and resilience.
What does the Force-Velocity Curve Signify?
The force-velocity curve signifies the inverse relationship between the force a muscle can produce and the velocity at which it contracts. In simpler terms, it illustrates how the capacity of a muscle to generate force decreases as the speed of the muscle contraction increases, and vice versa. At slow contraction speeds, muscles can produce high levels of force. This is typical in activities such as heavy weightlifting, where the load is substantial, but the speed of movement is relatively slow. On the other hand, at high contraction speeds, the force that muscles can produce is significantly reduced. This scenario is common in activities that require rapid movements, like sprinting or jumping, where the emphasis is on speed rather than maximum force. Understanding the force-velocity curve helps in designing training programmes that target specific performance goals.
On the other hand, the curve also highlights the versatility of muscle performance across different activities and the need for varied training modalities to enhance overall athletic performance, regardless of the sport. It demonstrates that muscles function differently under various conditions, which is essential for tailored training approaches.
The force-velocity curve is typically broken down into 5 zones and training each zone follows a certain blueprint to gain the required adaptations.
Force-Velocity Curve and its Application to Ultrarunning
Applying the force-velocity curve to ultrarunning involves understanding how the principles of force and velocity work towards optimal performance and efficiency when running over varied terrains for extremely long durations. In order to do so, the middle of the curve is what needs to be looked at - and trained to improve.
At the middle of the force-velocity curve, right at the balance of the extremes of maximum force and maximum velocity, lies power. Developing power requires equal amounts of strength and speed, and it logically follows that the greater an athlete’s strength potential (or force production) and the greater the athlete’s speed potential (velocity of movement or muscular contractions), the greater will their power output be.
In ultrarunning, power is what directly translates to tackling those steep mountain climbs or those lightning fast downhills. Power is what helps ultrarunners sprint those last few kilometres (or miles) to the finish line after enduring the last 50, 60 or 100+ kilometres. Mechanically, power is also what helps the stretch shortening cycle, as the body ‘spring’ is able to exert high amounts of propulsive forces in relatively shorter spans of time to achieve a high velocity of movement.
Power training, therefore, is the key takeaway from a training perspective and designing an effective strength training plan needs to optimise for power output.
Benefits of Applying the Force-Velocity Curve to Ultrarunning
The force-velocity curve provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how muscles work under different conditions and helps in creating effective training programs to enhance strength, speed, and power. By applying the principles of the force-velocity curve, ultrarunners can strategically enhance their power, efficiency, and overall performance, making them better equipped to handle the diverse demands of ultrarunning. The benefits of using this approach are:
Power Development: Running uphill requires greater force production at slower speeds, targeting the high-force, low-velocity end of the F-V curve. This builds muscle strength and power, which can be beneficial for tackling steep inclines during a race. Conversely, running downhill involves high-velocity, low-force movements, which can help improve leg turnover and speed, aiding in efficient descent and recovery phases.
Speed-Endurance Balance: Tempo runs and interval workouts blend moderate to high force with varying velocities, helping ultrarunners develop the ability to sustain higher speeds over longer distances. This training aligns with the middle portion of the force-velocity curve, optimising both force and velocity to enhance endurance performance.
Strength Training: Incorporating strength training exercises such as squats, lunges, and deadlifts can enhance muscle force production capabilities. This helps ultrarunners maintain form and efficiency over long distances, especially on challenging terrains. On the other hand, plyometric exercises like jump squats and bounding improve power by training muscles to generate high force rapidly, which is crucial for quick adjustments and sprints during a race.
Running Economy: Training that optimises the force-velocity curve can lead to more efficient muscle contractions, reducing the energy cost of running. This means ultrarunners can maintain higher speeds for longer periods without excessive fatigue.
Periodisation Design: Understanding the force-velocity curve automatically gives a periodised blueprint for supplementary strength training. This places emphasis on different phases that focus on building base strength, increasing power, and enhancing speed-endurance. This holistic approach ensures well-rounded development and peak performance during races.
Training Goals for the Force-Velocity Curve
The goal of strength training, from the force-velocity curve standpoint, is to shift the entire curve to the right and move from general to specific training. The dotted curve shows the ‘new’ force-velocity curve as an outcome of strength training.
This essentially means the following:
The athlete is able to produce greater force with the same velocity profile;
The athlete is able to achieve greater velocity with the same force profile;
The athlete’s peak power has increased.
Achieving these outcomes is, simply, to effectively periodise strength training.
Periodising Strength Training to Move the Force-Velocity Curve
While periodisation and programming needs to be individualised, some basic rules of thumb and guidelines should always be followed. Power requires strength, and power drives velocity. This automatically creates a sequence of working on strength first, power next and velocity last. By applying this blueprint to a strength training programme, the following framework can be arrived at for ultrarunners:
Off/Pre-Season Phase: Focus on general strength exercises that target core stability and the entire kinetic chain via big compound movements (squats, deadlifts, glute bridges etc.). Bodyweight or light weights can be used for this as the focus is on preparation and maintenance.
Base Phase: Focus on progressive overload of compound movements to arrive at maximal strength for the training cycle. This would translate to the 1RM (or >90% of 1RM) for each movement.
Build Phase: Introduce strength-speed and power-based movements into the programme and focus on exercises that target power development (e.g., power cleans, plyometrics etc.). Keep resistance in the range of ~70-80% of 1RM.
Peak Phase: Focus on maximising power development by introducing speed-strength into the programme. This would include plyometrics and other explosive movements with resistance in the range of ~30-80% of 1RM.
Competition Phase: Focus on velocity by adding speed drills like hill bounding, hill sprints and hill strides.
Putting it All Together for Ultrarunners
The force-velocity curve gives a blueprint for periodisation of strength training and supplementary activities while keeping ultrarunning goals and training plan in focus. Integrating strength training that emphasises both ends of the force-velocity spectrum, as well as targeting the optimal power zone, is crucial for tackling the varied demands of ultrarunning - from steep mountain climbs to rapid descents and those final sprints to the finish line.
Implementing a structured training program that incorporates the force-velocity curve helps in developing the necessary muscle adaptations, improving running economy, and preventing injuries. By periodising strength training effectively, ultrarunners can shift their force-velocity profile, achieving greater and sustained power output, which translates to improved overall performance.
In conclusion, recognising the significance of the force-velocity curve ensures that ultrarunners are not just finishing their races, but excelling in them. With a focus on power development, speed-endurance balance, and efficient muscle function, ultrarunners can harness the full potential of their training to conquer the challenges of trail, mountain and ultra-distance races.
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