AUTUMN 2007 - Serpentine

TRAINING
SERPENTINE RUNNING CLUB
Can swimming
improve running
performance?
by Terence Collins
The answer is probably. Let’s consider ways in which swimming
could actually aid running performance. In a nutshell, swimming
can facilitate loss of body fat, increase cardiovascular endurance,
and reduce the risk of overuse injuries. This last benefit, the
avoidance of overuse injuries, is the strongest argument in favour of
swimming as a runner’s preferred choice of cross-training activity.
Swimming can effectively increase endurance volume
(yardage/mileage) within a training programme, without
significantly increasing impact on leg muscles and joints. Arguably,
these muscles and joints may also be benefiting from an active
rest, whilst the heart and lungs continue to undergo a significant
cardiovascular workout. Individual endurance runners’ empirical
evidence indicates that when weekly running volume within the
training programme reaches a certain level, the risk of injury
increases significantly. Overloading through cross training offers
the runner the option to increase training volume with a
significantly reduced risk of injury. For the compulsive runner who
has a hard time taking a rest day, swimming not only gives
potentially fatigued legs an active rest but it also provides the body
with an effective upper body workout. Additionally, swimming is
practically a zero-impact sport and therefore arguably the least
stressful cross-training activity, consequently ideal to practice
when returning from injury.
Swim training sessions, similarly to run training sessions, can be
designed to take into account scientific principles of training, for
example, sessions designed to challenge the energy systems:
aerobic (endurance), anaerobic and ATP CP (speed/strength)
and/or stimulate muscle fibre recruitment. The approximate
equivalence between swim and run sessions is estimated as: swim
¼ of the run distance. In terms of interval training, for example,
100m repeats in the pool would be the equivalent of 400m
repeats on the track. Moreover, the equivalent to a 5k run would
be a 1,250m swim, 10k run would be 2,500m swim, etc.
However, runners who are new to swimming or those who are
compromised through basic swim technique skills may find it
difficult to swim long distances continuously without experiencing
significant technique deterioration. Moreover, muscles which are
unconditioned to swimming plus inefficient swim technique may
lead to decreased motivation and dissatisfaction with swim
training. The ideal solution is to attend coached swim sessions that
focus on swim stroke improvement which in turn will have a
positive effect on motivation and goal achievement.
Heart rate (HR) differential is an important variable when
comparing intensity values between cross-training activities. Swim
HR can be 10-20 beats below those registered for the equivalent
activity intensity on dry land (e.g.: cycling, running) due to loss of
gravitational force, the body’s horizontal position in the water, and
the cooling effect of the water temperature. However, what truly
counts is that the heart, lungs and muscles are still undergoing a
significant workout.
Serpies splashing about in La Santa, Lanzarote
(photo: Brent Plump)
Optimum performance from double training sessions or brick
sessions within the same training day (for example, swim/bike –
bike/run – swim/run – run/bike) which include both speed/
strength (e.g.: 20 x 200m sprints / hill running) and endurance
training (e.g.: 800m swim interval sets), have traditionally been
performed as: strength/speed session first followed by endurance
session later. The logic being that the participant will be fresh for
the quality workout and that it does not always matter if the
participant were fatigued at the start of the endurance workout
because that said fatigue would only add to the endurance effect.
However, a recent sport science case study in the US indicated
that there were no significant differences in terms of improvement
of both strength and endurance when one group performed a
strength workout before an endurance workout while another
group did the reverse. These findings suggest that it makes little
difference in terms of performance improvements as to which
session comes first. However, if this logic is applied to run/swim
or swim/run cross training, those participants who are new to
swimming or whose skills are not robust may find it desirable to
always perform the swim session first since it will prove to be the
greater challenge to their motor skill development.
Cross training certainly makes sense to athletes, and anecdotal
evidence supports the view that elite athletes are known to cross
train effectively. However, runners who train moderately with little
risk of injury may find that a more beneficial approach would be to
do more of what they are already doing, applying the principle of
specificity: i.e. add more running sessions to the training
prescription to improve running performance. Nevertheless, the
more committed runner whose goals include PBs and placing in
races will benefit from cross training as a methodology to increase
training volume without increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, it
will add variety to training prescription and probably make training
more challenging and enjoyable.
Terence Collins has a MSc in Sport Sciences from
Brunel University, is a qualified triathlon coach
(BTA level 3), swim coach (ASA level 2), personal
trainer (level 3) and a member of BASES (British
Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences) and
can be reached on 07879 401 550 or email:
terencecollins9@gmail.com.
22