Can speed practice alone help long distance endurance?
Former Member
If I only practice to improve the speed in short distance, will it help increase the endurance needed for long distance? In other words, say I have trained for several months for (only) speed, could I, one day, suddenly find myself swimming long distance without feeling tired?
(Obviously the opposite is not true: simply being able to swim slow long distance doesn't help improve the speed.)
My feeling is that speed training alone would detract from performance in endurance events, assuming that you have decent endurance to begin with as mentioned above.
Speed work can build muscle mass, or train current musculature to use energy more quickly, resulting in higher output. Additional or fast-twitch muscle requires more oxygen. Oxygen debt can become a problem in endurance races if your cardio work is not sufficient to account for the increased demand. :2cents:
My feeling is that speed training alone would detract from performance in endurance events, assuming that you have decent endurance to begin with as mentioned above.
Speed work can build muscle mass, or train current musculature to use energy more quickly, resulting in higher output. Additional or fast-twitch muscle requires more oxygen. Oxygen debt can become a problem in endurance races if your cardio work is not sufficient to account for the increased demand. :2cents:
