Cross Training and Running

What is cross-training? Should I cross-train? Does cross-training prevent injuries? What should I do to cross-train?

I was primarily a swimmer as I grew up and throughout college, but I turned to running after shoulder surgery and recently finishing my fourth marathon. Having been injury-free throughout my early training, I thought I was one of the lucky ones who would never get injured running. So I kept pushing the mileage and intensity—until I was humbled in January 2023.

The pain started abruptly and felt like a knife being shoved in the side of my knee.IT band friction syndrome had reared its ugly head. As runners often do, I told myself I could run through the pain. Several months later, I was still stuck in the pattern of taking a couple days off, running, and then re-aggravating my knee. I took a hard look in the mirror and knew something had to change. Frustrated and reluctant, I turned to the world of cross-training. The pool was my primary aerobic activity for several months of knee rehab. Remembering how hard it was to start running after years of laps in the pool, I dreaded going back to square one with my marathon training. After about four months of rehabilitation and swimming, I started a return-to-run program, fully expecting to feel like I was climbing Pikes Peak on every run. The first couple weeks back were a little tough, but not nearly as difficult as I thought they would be. Had all the swimming really set me up for an easier transition back to running?

Could cross-training have prevented my injury? (Reference 1)

When my IT band pain started, I was only running; cross-training was not included in my weekly routine. Could my IT band pain have been prevented with more variable training? Important injury risk factors for running include high training volumes, poor recovery, and high rates of training load increase. The key words here are volume and load. If the loads on your body are greater than the capacity of a specific muscle, tendon, or bone, then injury will inevitably result. A high volume of running goes hand in hand with load. If the volume, or amount of running you are doing, is too much stress on a patellar tendon, for example, patellar tendonitis will result.

Running, especially road running, is repetitive by nature, and thus your legs are taking on huge volumes and loads. If there is a weak link in a kinetic chain and you expose it to two to three times your body weight hundreds or thousands of times during a run, something is bound to stop functioning properly. Cross-training plays a vital role in reducing this repetitive loading and high volume that can eventually lead to frustrating, nagging injuries. Especially for injury-prone athletes, it can help to avoid setbacks during training and enable the athlete to run farther, faster, and more confidently.

What kind of cross-training is best? (Reference 2)

Several studies support the use of outdoor biking and an elliptical machine as a sufficient cross-training modality. In a six-week study, male high-school runners were split into four groups: running only, running and biking, running and outdoor elliptical bike, and running and stationary elliptical. The cross-training modalities listed replaced two threshold runs during their training week. The results were as follows:

● Hip strength (extension and abduction) was increased at the end of six weeks in all groups except stationary elliptical.

● Submaximal and maximal aerobic capacity increased in a 3000-meter and 5000-meter time trial for all groups.

● Running economy did not change in any of the groups.

Though aerobic cross-training has not been conclusively shown to reduce injury, the athletes above were able to reduce running impact without compromising running performance.

Elliptical Training (References 3-6)

Elliptical training has shown promising results in several studies. The elliptical machine closely mimics running via reciprocal arm and leg movements and similar muscle activation without the impact of running. In one study, moderately active females participated in either stair climbing, elliptical, or treadmill running at similar intensities for 12 weeks, and similar physiological improvements were seen across all groups. Another study with 18 trained runners found similar oxygen consumption, fuel utilization, heart rate, and energy expenditure between the same modalities at submaximal intensities done at 60%, 70%, and 80% of VO2max. Another study found similar improvements plus a heart rate increase of 19 beats per minute on the elliptical machine with similar rates of perceived exertion (“RPE”) and intensity levels as compared to treadmill running. The elliptical could actually provide greater aerobic stress on the system than running at similar intensities, which can result in an increased demand and adaptations to the aerobic system.

Similar results have been found across several studies of outdoor elliptical bike usage. In a four-week training period, a group of experienced runners either trained on the elliptical bike or continued their normal run training routine. At the end of the study, the elliptical bike group had similar physiological and performance improvements in a 5000-meter time trial to the run-only group! Of course, outdoor elliptical bikes are a very new technology and not accessible or feasible for most of us, but they could become more available in the near future and have shown very promising preliminary results.

Deep Water Running (References 7-8)

Deep water running (“DWR”) is another commonly cited cross-training modality with a plethora of benefits. DWR is completed in a deep pool, commonly with water shoes and a flotation device around the waist. This modality has direct mechanical crossover to running without the impact of ground contact. During a four-week study of competitive runners, 11 participants completed a DWR routine, maintaining normal intensity and duration as in their on-land run training. Race performance times at the 5k distance were recorded at the beginning and end of the study. All runners were able to maintain their 5k race time at the conclusion of the study. No changes were found in oxygen consumption, heart rate, and lactate, in addition to several other variables.

In another study, 16 trained male runners were split into a treadmill running group and DWR group. Intensity and duration were matched across groups. After six weeks, VO2max, ventilatory threshold, and running economy were similar between the groups. DWR is an often-overlooked training modality that can be incorporated to maintain endurance levels while maintaining running-specific movements.

Unfortunately for my own cross-training plans, swimming laps has very little crossover to running mechanics. However, the aerobic benefits are still profound and can help to maintain an aerobic base. The cardiovascular system does not know the difference between running, biking, or swimming. It responds to the demands placed on it based on the intensity and duration of the activity.

Cycling (References 9-11)

Cycling is one other common cross-training modality. In one study, 11 college runners replaced 50% of their running with cycling at similar intensities for five weeks. No change in estimated VO2max was found after their training blocks. Sprint cycling, or utilizing five to seven sets of 30-second bike sprints with 4-minute recoveries between each repetition, has shown some crossover to improving running. In another study, VO2max and power production at VO2max both increased by 8% after four weeks of sprint cycling training. VO2max increases, even from cycling, have been correlated with improved high-intensity running performance in athletes. Unlike swimming, cycling engages similar muscle groups in a familiar pattern to running in addition to creating a strong aerobic base. As a cross-training modality, it can help to maintain these factors if there is a need for reduced load when running.

Final thoughts

Elliptical workouts, cycling, and DWR are used in cross-training in order to reduce load, as either excess or increased load is the main factor in most running injuries. DWR and elliptical have added benefits, as they have a direct link to running form. In addition, cross-training has been shown to help maintain aerobic endurance, VO2max, and running economy, even if used in isolation without running. Therefore, you do not need to let a running injury sideline your activities altogether. While you are healing, cross-training can help to make the return to running smoother and more enjoyable. Instead of dreading that first run back, you can return to running with confidence. If the thought of replacing running with a different physical activity seems unthinkable at first, I would challenge you to find a cross-training modality you can tolerate and stick it in your back pocket for a rainy day. Hopefully, you won’t need it, but if you do, you will be glad it is there.

If you feel that you need help structuring your training program or strength work, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us or another trusted professional. You can reach us at (719) 270–3155 or chase@runmental.com.

References

1. Wu, H., Brooke-Wavell, K., Fong, D. T. P., Paquette, M. R., & Blagrove, R. C. (2024). Do Exercise-Based Prevention Programs Reduce Injury in Endurance Runners? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine, 54(5), 1249–1267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-01993-7

2. Paquette, M. R., Peel, S. A., Smith, R. E., Temme, M., & Dwyer, J. N. (2017). The Impact of Different Cross-Training Modalities on Performance and Injury-Related Variables in High School Cross Country Runners. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(6), 1745–1753. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000002042

3. Egaña, M., & Donne, B. (2004). Physiological changes following a 12 week gym based stair-climbing, elliptical trainer and treadmill running program in females. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 44(2), 141–146.

4. Bosch, A. N., Flanagan, K. C., Eken, M. M., Withers, A., Burger, J., & Lamberts, R. P. (2021). Physiological and Metabolic Responses to Exercise on Treadmill, Elliptical Trainer, and Stepper: Practical Implications for Training. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 31(2), 135–142. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2020-0155

5. Brown, G. A., Cook, C. M., Krueger, R. D., & Heelan, K. A. (2010). Comparison of energy expenditure on a treadmill vs. an elliptical device at a self-selected exercise intensity. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(6), 1643–1649. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181cb2854

6. Klein, Ian; White, Jason; Rana, Sharon. Comparison of Physiological Variables Between the Elliptical Bicycle and Run Training in Experienced Runners. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 30(11), 998-3006, November 2016. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001398

7. Bushman, Barbara A.; Flynn, Michael G.; Andres, Fredrick F.; Lambert, Charles P.; Taylor, Michael S.; Braun, William A. Effect of 4 wk of deep water run training on running performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 29(5), 694-699, May 1997.

8. Singh, S., & Lal, K. (2012). Enhanced aerobic capacity with deep water running. Medical journal, Armed Forces India, 68(2), 154–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-1237(12)60037-99. White, L. J., Dressendorfer, R. H., Muller, S. M., & Ferguson, M. A. (2003).

9. Effectiveness of cycle cross-training between competitive seasons in female distance runners. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 17(2), 319–323. https://doi.org/10.1519/1533-4287(2003)017<0319:eoccbc>2.0.co;2

10. Etxebarria, N., Anson, J. M., Pyne, D. B., & Ferguson, R. A. (2013). High-intensity cycle interval training improves cycling and running performance in triathletes. European Journal of Sport Science, 14(6), 521–529. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2013.853841

11. Tanaka H. (1994). Effects of cross-training. Transfer of training effects on VO2max between cycling, running and swimming. Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 18(5), 330–339. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-19941805