Concurrent Strength and Endurance Training

Dear Colleagues,

Many sports require athletes to sustain high-intensity efforts over prolonged periods while performing complex skills, such as jumping, sprinting, and changing direction, in order to achieve competitive success. To meet these demands, training programs often combine strength and endurance exercises in a regimen known as "concurrent training", designed to simultaneously improve muscular strength and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Despite its widespread use, concurrent training remains a topic of scientific debate. A significant challenge is the "interference effect", where combining endurance and strength training may diminish adaptive responses compared to focusing on a single modality. Additionally, fatigue induced by strength training can impair subsequent endurance sessions, potentially resulting in the "resistance training-induced suboptimization on endurance performance" phenomenon. Researchers have investigated mechanisms and methodological factors influencing these effects, such as recovery duration between training modes, exercise sequencing, and intensity. Understanding these variables is crucial to mitigate interference and optimize performance outcomes.

This Topic seeks to advance the field by providing innovative insights and practical recommendations for refining concurrent training prescriptions. We welcome original research and comprehensive reviews addressing cutting-edge strategies, evidence-based approaches, and novel methodologies. The goal is to maximize training responses and long-term adaptations, enhancing athletic performance across diverse sports disciplines.

Prof. Dr. Alejandro Pérez-Castilla
Prof. Dr. Manuel A. Rodríguez Pérez
Topic Editors