Development of Maximal Dynamic Strength During Concurrent Resistance and Endurance Training in Untrained, Moderately Trained, and Trained Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Henrik Petré, Erik Hemmingsson, Hans Rosdahl, Niklas Psilander

Journal: Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) 2021;51(5):991-1010

PMID: 33751469

Free Full Text on PubMed Central View on PubMed

Plain Language Summary

Athletes often require a combination of both strength and endurance in their chosen sport. As a result, a training programme which has both endurance and strength exercises within the same training period has become popular and is known as concurrent training. However, there are conflicting studies on the effectiveness of this way of training for athletic performance. This systematic review of 27 studies aimed to determine the overall effect of concurrent training on athletic performance based on the results of several studies and whether the time between training types could influence the effect. The results showed that leg press and squat exercises were negatively affected in trained individuals, but only if they were performed within the same training session. This was not evident in untrained and moderately trained individuals. It was concluded that in trained athletes, the performance of endurance and strength training within the same session can have a detrimental effect on lower body strength development. This study could be used by professionals to recommend that trained individuals separate endurance and strength training when increased strength is the goal.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The effect of concurrent training on the development of maximal strength is unclear, especially in individuals with different training statuses.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis study was to compare the effect of concurrent resistance and endurance training with that of resistance training only on the development of maximal dynamic strength in untrained, moderately trained, and trained individuals.

METHODS

On the basis of the predetermined criteria, 27 studies that compared effects between concurrent and resistance training only on lower-body 1-repetition maximum (1RM) strength were included. The effect size (ES), calculated as the standardised difference in mean, was extracted from each study, pooled, and analysed with a random-effects model.

RESULTS

The 1RM for leg press and squat exercises was negatively affected by concurrent training in trained individuals (ES = - 0.35, p < 0.01), but not in moderately trained ( - 0.20, p = 0.08) or untrained individuals (ES = 0.03, p = 0.87) as compared to resistance training only. A subgroup analysis revealed that the negative effect observed in trained individuals occurred only when resistance and endurance training were conducted within the same training session (ES same session = - 0.66, p < 0.01 vs. ES different sessions = - 0.10, p = 0.55).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated the novel and quantifiable effects of training status on lower-body strength development and shows that the addition of endurance training to a resistance training programme may have a negative impact on lower-body strength development in trained, but not in moderately trained or untrained individuals. This impairment seems to be more pronounced when training is performed within the same session than in different sessions. Trained individuals should therefore consider separating endurance from resistance training during periods where the development of dynamic maximal strength is prioritised.

Address: Department of Physiology, Nutrition and Biomechanics, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, SE-114 86, PO Box 5626, Stockholm, Sweden. [email protected].; Department of Physical Activity and Health, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, SE-114 86, PO Box 5626, Stockholm, Sweden.; Department of Physiology, Nutrition and Biomechanics, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, SE-114 86, PO Box 5626, Stockholm, Sweden.

DOI: 10.1007/s40279-021-01426-9