179 A Christian Guide to Body Stewardship, Diet and Exercise Combining Strength and Endurance Training While the SRA curve provides specific recommendations as to when to perform subsequent sessions of endurance training or strength training, combining the two into a single exercise plan can be challenging. For example, if both endurance training and strength training are performed on the same day, which type of training should be performed first? Likewise, should lower body strength training and speed training be performed on the same or subsequent days? If both endurance and strength training are performed in a single training session, then the order in which they are performed does appear to matter. For example, performing endurance training first will negatively affect strength training performance to follow. Similarly, performing strength training first will negatively affect endurance training performance to follow. As a result, it is recommended to perform the type of training receiving priority first. For example, if an individual’s primary goal is to improve strength, then strength training should be performed before endurance training. That said, if strength training and endurance training are performed at different times on the same day (e.g., separate morning and evening training sessions), then the order has no consequence as the body has had enough time to recover between training sessions. Generally speaking, it would be inadvisable to perform lower body strength training within 24 hours of performing speed training as both target the fast twitch (type II) muscle fibers of the lower extremities. Instead, it would be better to conduct both on the same day (e.g., within the same training session or separate morning and evening training sessions) then wait at least 72 hours before repeating or wait at least 48 hours between the two training sessions. Endurance Training Recommendations for Strength Athletes Research suggests that low-intensity endurance training may be detrimental to hypertrophic adaptations in well-trained individuals if performed in excess (Schoenfeld, 2021). For example, Trappe et al., 2006 reported a 20% reduction in muscle cross-sectional area of both slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers after 13 weeks of marathon training. Although the exact mechanisms behind the detrimental effects are unclear, one theory is that the post-workout molecular signaling triggered by endurance training suppresses the post-workout molecular signaling triggered by resistance training (Atherton et al., 2005; Beardsley, 2019; Hawley, 2009; Vissing et al., 2013). Another, simpler explanation may be that endurance training causes central nervous system fatigue, which in turn decreases the frequency of nerve signals being sent to the muscle thereby reducing the number of muscle fibers that can be activated during subsequent resistance training (Beardsley, 2019). Although the detrimental effects of excessive endurance training on hypertrophy are well documented in the literature, other research suggests that adding some endurance training to a resistance training program may be beneficial in promoting long-term hypertrophy gains through improved blood flow to the musculature. For example, research shows that chronic endurance training increases angiogenesis (development of new blood vessels), via both vascular remodeling and increased capillarization (Bloor, 2005). The increased blood flow to muscles allows for
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