A twice-weekly strength block specifically preserves running economy in the fatigued, late-race state — a distinct benefit from fresh-state economy gains
Interpretation
Zanini et al.'s 2025 RCT (a different paper from the 2024 MSSE durability-measurement paper already cited in the Bike evidence pilot) found a 10-week, twice-weekly maximal-strength-plus-plyometric program preserved running economy specifically through 90 minutes of heavy-intensity running, and improved fatigued high-intensity performance — a durability-specific finding, not just a fresh-state economy result.
Practical implication
Frame the case for strength training partly around late-race economy preservation ('durability'), not only fresh-state running economy — this is a newer, smaller evidence base and should be flagged as emerging rather than settled.
Sources
1 source, independently verified.
A supplementary 10-week strength program (maximal strength + plyometrics, twice weekly) preserved running economy specifically through 90 minutes of heavy-intensity running and improved fatigued high-intensity performance — distinct from, and a different paper than, Zanini's 2024 MSSE durability-quantification-methods paper already cited in the Bike pilot.