Does cycling increase running strength endurance

ocnoc

Right. When we run, we do damage. There is impact damage on the legs.
When we do intervals, there is more damage and we produce lactic that has to be flushed out.
On the bike you get less/no impact damage.

So here is my question.

Is it possible to train the lungs on the bike (causing no or as little
damage as possible) so as to keep the legs fresh for running training where the real damage is done?

So basically, you train the lungs on the bike (to aid climbing) and train the legs through sport specific running.

All in all, i am looking to improve my climbing (strength endurance) without getting slow. A lot of cyclists are great climbers.

And if cycling is beneficial to running, is it just time on the bike? Or are there sessions that work on specifics?

ThisRegard

In my experience my lungs never get anywhere near the work out they get when running, maybe because I don't, or can't, push myself as hard as when I'm on foot.

Seres

When i was training for triathlons and doin alot of cycling i found it did wondering for me for running up hills , Inclines i would normally find hard were easy !

tunguska

ocnoc wrote: »

Right. When we run, we do damage. There is impact damage on the legs.
When we do intervals, there is more damage and we produce lactic that has to be flushed out.
On the bike you get less/no impact damage.

So here is my question.

Is it possible to train the lungs on the bike (causing no or as little
damage as possible) so as to keep the legs fresh for running training where the real damage is done?

So basically, you train the lungs on the bike (to aid climbing) and train the legs through sport specific running.

All in all, i am looking to improve my climbing (strength endurance) without getting slow. A lot of cyclists are great climbers.

And if cycling is beneficial to running, is it just time on the bike? Or are there sessions that work on specifics?

I was out of action, running wise, for 3 months recently and my training involved cycling, more cycling and a bit of cycling thrown in for the laugh. I would alternate hard/easy days with the hard days being 20km and 40km timetrials. The result was when I came back to running I was in ok shape, it wasnt like I was starting from scratch. But I wasnt in as good shape as I'd have been if I was just running.
I think you're better off just running, I know theres the issue of impact and all but thats half the battle, training your body to absorb the impact. Thats the first thing I noticed when I got back to running after the lay-off, the impact alone was wearing me out. And theres no way to replicate that on the bike.
Personally I wouldnt waste my time with cycling, I'd only use it if I was injured or the day after a tough race, because its not really contributing anything to your running fitness or technique, its just a good way to keep you ticking over.

Peterx

My cycling helps my hillrunning, I think though that mountain biking is probably more specifically useful than road biking, you can be climbing for longer on a mountain bike in this country and seeing the correct descending lines on a bike can only help with running downhill.

Tunguska is right though, nothing beats running but the problem is our little leggies can't run hard every day and this is where the complimentary cycling comes in very useful keeping the body ticking over and hopefully the bloodflow to the muscles is aiding recovery.

The poster boy is Robbie Bryson but on the other hand John Lenihan may have never cycled in his life!

Nwm2

ocnoc wrote: »

Right. When we run, we do damage. There is impact damage on the legs.
When we do intervals, there is more damage and we produce lactic that has to be flushed out.
On the bike you get less/no impact damage.

So here is my question.

Is it possible to train the lungs on the bike (causing no or as little
damage as possible) so as to keep the legs fresh for running training where the real damage is done?

So basically, you train the lungs on the bike (to aid climbing) and train the legs through sport specific running.

All in all, i am looking to improve my climbing (strength endurance) without getting slow. A lot of cyclists are great climbers.

And if cycling is beneficial to running, is it just time on the bike? Or are there sessions that work on specifics?

It is an interesting question with a lot of potential applicability and I'm not sure it has been studied directly. There has been research which shows that VO2max can be increased to similar levels using different training modalities, but that for higher level athletes, the specificity principle begins to take over. Therefore, elite runners will develop a level of running economy through lots of running that will not be developed otherwose, and that their running lactate threshold will be at a higher % of their VO2max than less trained runners. Less trained runners on the other hand will see a crossover benefit.

Also, there has been work done on maintaining fitness while injured, and these have been short term studies. At least one of these compared aquajogging and cycling to a control group of runners for a period of about 6 weeks. The runners slightly improved their 2 mile times, but so did the others by an equal amount.

I think triathletes are a good study group here, as they tend to do fewer sessions than runners, but have better run times than would be expected from their weekly run volume. Still, in the absence of controlled studies you are left with a collection of useless anecdotes.

ocnoc

Cycle short hard intervals to boost V02max, while doing all other running for conditioning and speed?

Or does that simplify it too much.

T runner

ocnoc wrote: »

Cycle short hard intervals to boost V02max, while doing all other running for conditioning and speed?

Or does that simplify it too much.

A very running oriented duathlete might substitute easy runs with easy cylces but keeping the high intensity running sessions. Also, Every second long run could be swapped for a cycle or atleast a medium long run.

I have seen suggested hill running schedules that inc cycling: il post if i find. I think they were similar. Easy intensity runs are substituted for (50%) longer easy cycles so leg strenght and some climbing endurance is gained.

A turbo trainer could be used for hill sessions if hills were not available though.

Getonwithit

Check out article on runningtimes.com on this American kid called lukas versbicas. Best high schooler in states, triathlon background article suggests that his swim/cycle has allowed him build big aerobic base. Stands to reason when you look at the differences btw western childhoods and thecaverage Kenyan childhood as well. More low pressure endurance work has obvious benefits.