Run Faster With These Resisted Running Gear Tips

No matter the distance we're training for, we all want to be faster. 

Sprint intervals, hill repeats and Fartlek runs are a step in the right direction, but to really put your speed training into overdrive, you may need to use some advanced apparatus.

The Key Benefits of Resisted Running

In the past, resisted running has been mostly limited to the world of short distance sprinting. Research shows that lightweight sled pulls and parachute sprints can effectively improve early-phase acceleration over the first 20 meters of an all-out sprint.  

But there is plenty of research demonstrating that sprint training can be beneficial for long-distance runners as well, largely due to the boost in VO2Max that high-intensity sprint intervals can elicit. Sports scientists have also found that resisted running is actually gentler on runners' joints than all-out sprints and other forms of strength training. The additional load slows the pace and reduces the number of steps without significantly increasing joint strain. Is it possible, then, that resisted pulling or pushing at max effort can net even greater benefits? 

A 2007 study that had a group ofthat required "strong man" Strongman athletes to push a 4,000-plus-pound 4,000+ lb vehicle found that resisted pulling or pushing elicited incredibly high metabolic workloads. Luckily, you don't have to push or pull the family car around to reap the benefits of resisted running--most studies have found that sprinting while towing a weight equal to around 10 percent of your body weight is ideal for improving acceleration and power, while moderately heavier resistance levels may provide other significant performance benefits.

Which Tools Are Best?

For developing early-phase acceleration, sleds and parachutes are both effective training tools. Each device should be attached to a harness more than 30 feet long, in order to allow for unrestricted movement. 

If your aim is to pile on the weight and build strength and aerobic power, then the sled has a clear advantage. That's because the only way to increase the load with a parachute system is to use a larger parachute, or to hook up a complicated network of multiple parachutes. With a sled, all you have to do is add another weight or two. 

If you want to be able to change the resistance level at various points throughout a single repetition--to train yourself to push hard at the end of a race, for example--you'll want to use a heavy-duty bungee and harness system. This option is lightweight, portable, and relatively cost effective--but it will require a workout partner or training coach. 

Gradual Progression, Workout Timing and Recovery

Sprinting of any kind is metabolically taxing, both to the muscles and the central nervous system, and resisted running is no exception. For this reason, it's imperative that you start slow and gradually increase total training volume: load x sets x speed. It's also important to allow your body to fully recover after loaded training days. Even though you may not experience the muscle soreness that a heavy weight workout or plyometric training can produce, you'll only be hurting your performance if you follow up a resisted running day with another demanding workout. 

Because of the high metabolic demands, it's best to incorporate these workouts early in the training season or during the off-season. 

Kyle Williams, an Australian high-altitude endurance athlete and coach, says that he uses sled training in the early, base-building phase of training and sticks with "tried and tested long runs and challenging tempo or interval sessions" later in the training season. He also recommends that runners limit resisted running to one session per week in order to allow for adequate recovery.

While little research has been done on the benefits of resisted running for endurance performance to date, this hot training trend has runners, coaches and exercise physiologists taking a closer look. By starting off slow and testing different training loads, resisted running could kick your speed into the next gear.

Bonus: A Resisted Workout Sample to Get You Started

Australian coach Kyle Williams uses a heavier weighted sled workout to boost strength and power as well as to stimulate the acidosis threshold response. He recommends that runners pull about 40 percent of their bodyweight forward, backward, and laterally right and left in an all-out effort for 15 seconds with a two-minute rest between each direction. For pure acceleration work, however, he unloads the sled and drags it empty for 60-second sprint repeats with two minutes of rest in between.

The Best Snacks to Eat Before Running

Whether you are running for a work out or a competition, choosing the right snack can affect how you feel during your run. A light pre-run snack could help you maintain your energy level and keep hunger at bay. The duration and intensity of your run influences how much you should eat and when.

Pre-workout Meal & Snacking Guidelines

Ideally, you should consume a large meal three to four hours before you run. This will give your body ample time to digest the protein and fats in the food. Eating too much may cause stomach cramping and sluggishness, while eating too little may cause a lack of energy to sustain your run throughout the course. Snacking before exercise can help keep your blood sugar up and prevent hunger pangs, although it is unlikely to give you much of an energy boost.

Whole-grain Bagel, Peanut Butter and Banana

A whole-grain bagel with peanut butter and banana is one snack option. The banana and bagel provide carbs while the peanut butter contains protein and healthy fats. The peanut butter also helps lower the glycemic index of the snack; this means the sugar in it gets slowly released into your bloodstream, which will help you maintain your blood sugar level and energy throughout your run. Keep the snack light by using half a bagel, half a banana and two teaspoons of natural peanut butter.

Greek Yogurt and Blueberries

Greek yogurt is a creamy, tasty treat that packs a nutritional punch. When compared to regular yogurt, Greek yogurt has about twice the protein, less sodium and less sugar. The blueberries, which improve the flavor of the plain yogurt, contain carbs that helps replenish your glycogen stores. Use frozen berries or purchase locally produced fruits.

Fruit Smoothie

A fruit smoothie is a snack that goes down in a few seconds. It’s got carbs, vitamins and other nutrients, plus it is highly digestible if you pick the right fruits. The natural sugar content provides a fast-energy release, which is best for sprints or a short-running course. Blend a mix of lower glycemic index fruits such as strawberries and cherries with higher glycemic index fruits such as banana and watermelon. Accompany the fruit smoothie with a handful of almonds for protein, if desired.

Fitness Trackers 'Poor at Measuring Calories Burned'

Most fitness trackers are good at measuring heart rate but poor at measuring calories burned, a study suggests.

As a result, people should be cautious about using them to judge what to eat, Stanford University scientists said.

The study recommended that companies release data showing how their devices work out measurements.

The accuracy of seven wrist devices were tested while 60 volunteers were asked to walk, run and cycle.

Researchers found that six out of seven of the fitness devices were good at estimating the heart rate of the person wearing it, with an error rate under 5%.

They were the Apple Watch, Fitbit Surge, Basis Peak, Microsoft Band, PulseOn and Mio Alpha 2 - but the Samsung Gear S2 had the highest error rate of 6.8%.

'Rough estimates'

However, when it came to keeping track of energy used during exercise, the five devices that performed this function were all a long way out.

Not one of the devices had an error rate below 20% - and some, such as the PulseOn, were much more inaccurate, the US research team found.

Dr Euan Ashley, co-author of the study from the department of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University, said the public should be aware of the strengths and limitations of fitness devices worn on the wrist.

"People need to know that on energy expenditure they give rough estimates.

"If you go to the gym, and you think you've lost 400 calories, then you might feel you've got 400 calories to play with," he said.

That could be an issue if people were basing their diet on what they thought they had burnt off, he said.

Technology for measuring heart rate had moved on quickly over the past five or six years, but on energy expenditure "it's not quite there yet", he added.

It may be that companies are not using heart rates in their calculations. There is also a very wide difference in calories burnt between one person and another.

For example, 10,000 steps could equate to anything from 400 kilocalories to 800 kilocalories lost, depending on a person's height and weight alone, the study said.

Sharing plea

Dr David Ellis, lecturer in computation social science at Lancaster University, said working out the number of calories burnt was a tricky business and relied on many different factors such as height, weight, percentage of body fat, heart rate and more.

"However, because manufactures do not share the algorithms [which are constantly updated] used to determine calories burned, it is almost impossible to know the exact source of error at this stage," he said.

Fitness trackers can have a very positive effect on people's activity levels, so complete 100% accuracy may not be vital if the devices are encouraging more exercise.

But recent trials have suggested that wearing them doesn't always result in a positive outcome, or improve the chances of losing weight.

The researchers urged companies to be more transparent and publish the results of their own accuracy tests.

They said this would ensure the public and clinicians were aware of the devices' limitations.

The Stanford team has set up their own website to share this kind of data with others.