Myths Surrounding Absolute or Maximum Strength and Muscle

Mass on Running Economy

The highest level of muscle force that can be produced, maximum strength, is
the ability of a muscle or specific group of muscles to recruit and engage all
motor units to generate maximal tension against an external resistance. This
ability requires high levels of neuromuscular efficiency to enhance both intra- and
inter-muscular coordination. (Pete McCall, MS, CSCS)

An increase in lean body mass may contribute to strength and power

development. Strength and power are often related to muscle size in
numerous accepted studies. Thus, an increase in lean body mass may
enable the athlete to generate more force in a specific period of time. A
sufficient level of lean body mass also contributes to speed, quickness,
and agility performance (in the development of force applied to the ground
for maximal acceleration and deceleration). It also has a strong influence
on biochemical function and levels needed for sport specific purposes.
(NSCA’s Guide to Tests and Assessments)

We also generally accept that greater muscular strength is strongly

associated with improved force-time characteristics that in-turn possibly
contribute to an athlete’s overall performance. Acceleration skills, sprinting
skills and COD activities have hundreds of studies showing this
relationship in a wide array of sport disciplines and performance levels.
Sport scientists and practitioners have developed and monitor an
individual’s strength characteristics using isometric, dynamic, and reactive
strength tests, procedures and variables over time.

The importance of muscular strength in athletic performance

Authors
Timothy J Suchomel, Sophia Nimphius, Michael H Stone
Publication date
2016/10/1
Most expert researchers also propose that there may be no substitute for
greater muscular strength when it comes to improving an individual’s
performance across a wide range of both general and sport specific skills
while simultaneously reducing their risk of injury when performing these
skills.
So where are the myths? They are found in biased research,
selective practice, inferences and reductionism. The human body
is a complex organism that operates multiple systems that are
highly interdependent and react to slight perturbations instantly.
Many a debate in coaching circles reigns on “how strong is
strong enough” and “just how much lean mass is critical to the
sporting discipline at hand. Many sports thrive on huge absolute
strength metrics and likewise large body mass numbers. (Rugby,
American Football, some sport specific playing positions, etc.)
Other sports demand a different maximum strength/body
composition direction. Gymnastics, jumping events in athletics,
weight classification sports, the spectrum of running events in
athletics, etc all create a puzzle whereby the mantra of get bigger
and stronger may not be the best option or most timely decision.

With youth, novice entrants to sport and poorly developed

sportsmen, gaining in levels of maximum strength and body
mass may result in radical and rather instant change/success but
this approach has a shelf life. Relative strength may be a higher
KPI factor in certain sports and at certain stages of career. Power
expression metrics that result from such increases must also be
measured and accounted for in design analysis. Many athletes
gain in mass and maximum strength but struggle to convert this
into direct sport transference, especially in the power expression
realm.

Movement expression has many biological inputs and drivers.

The layers and spectrum arrangement of these biologicals
operate in unique hormesis environment. Hormesis is defined as
a dose-response phenomenon characterized by low-dose
stimulation and high-dose inhibition, and has been recognized as
representing an overcompensation for mild environmental stress.

This implies that there is a correct dosage of work and a complex

arrangement of conspirators at work allowing for an incubation
period for assimilation.

Time of year and the hierarchy of other KPI factors must also
influence the timing, amount and energy devoted to the Mass/
Strength chase. A rapid increase in mass or absolute strength as
one enters the competitive phase of the season may increase
injury risks and coordinative/cognitive reactions. There are
numerous examples of very fast sprinters and ball sport athletes
with little to no absolute strength training and likewise for
normative lean body mass numbers. Strength and body
composition factors have many subsets and are sport specific
influencers. The idea of one size fits all polemic stances fails the
logic test and the complexity of biological adaptation theory.

We need to develop analysis grids that account for influencers,

rate of change, magnitude of change and above all, time needed
for proactive change. Radical implementation of concepts or
theory begets radical change in many biological injections.
Whether that is desirous or beneficial long terms is the question.
It is difficult to know cost/benefit factors if one doesn’t know the
contributors and how these contributors interface in real time
sporting tasks.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
335716780_A_randomised_controlled_trial_of_movement_quality

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3578432/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26838985

https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/92/4/574/2735187

https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/
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the-Track-and-Field-Sprint-A-Bezodis-Willwacher/
2c8cbaa09c7ff04f42b27463e16d5044d3f0bc6a

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
49277766_Does_Increasing_Maximal_Strength_Improve_Sprint_
Running_Performance

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/38/3/285

https://simplifaster.com/articles/muscle-growth-sports-training

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/
10.1080/02640419308729956

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/
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