Training differences between slow and fast twitch runners

faster twitch distance runners suck at tempos and will overperform in intervals

Bingo

coach-t wrote:

What are people’s thoughts on differences between the training for runners with different proportions of fast vs slow twitch muscles? Like 400/800 vs 800/1600 types.

In college, our 800 guys ran a lot of 200 and 300 meter repeats. The 5/10K guys ran intervals of up to 1600 meters. Of course, we probably ran about twice as many mpw.

flvmmox wrote:

faster twitch distance runners suck at tempos and will overperform in intervals

Story of my life

But say a fast twitch guy like me is doing base and gonna run a few 5ks. What then?

Like Really Bro wrote:

flvmmox wrote:

faster twitch distance runners suck at tempos and will overperform in intervals

Story of my life

But say a fast twitch guy like me is doing base and gonna run a few 5ks. What then?

Not a full video, but Magness gives good/short insight here on the most important training adaptions to make for a FT runner:

thanks for that video. i am more FT myself and agreed with these points:

- do not emphasize the long run, this will beat up FT runners and require more recovery time

- stuff like 5 mile tempos, continuous threshold work doesn't work as well for FT runners and will erode the anaerobic advantage that they have. mixed pace work (progressions) or splitting up the tempo every mile or so with short rests can get the same stimulus needed for 5k/10k

- aerobic intervals - use more specific paces. 200-300 with short rest at 5k/10k pace. can also provide similar stimulus as tempo runs.

even before watching that video, my general idea was that playing up strengths is better than trying to cover up weaknesses.

doing a continuous run at 5k pace + 30-40s/mi thrashes me, and makes me need a "recovery day" (going slow because i have no choice) sometimes after a hard tempo i'll feel equally as bad as i do after racing.

doing intervals at exactly 5k pace usually results in the following day being "easy" (going slow because i want to)

Great input! I have a runner who is taking off track this spring and likely is More fast twitch and wants to build his base to be better for XC in the fall. Any reason not to train their weakness and do the tempos and longer runs (even at a slower pace). Or will results for 10k still be better if they do faster intervals and spilt up tempo work? I presume for spring 2022 there would be enough time to get his speed back for 800/1600 mile main event.

coach-t wrote:

Great input! I have a runner who is taking off track this spring and likely is More fast twitch and wants to build his base to be better for XC in the fall. Any reason not to train their weakness and do the tempos and longer runs (even at a slower pace). Or will results for 10k still be better if they do faster intervals and spilt up tempo work? I presume for spring 2022 there would be enough time to get his speed back for 800/1600 mile main event.

Magness talked about this in his book. If training for longer events, FT runners also need to run more mileage (just not as much as ST runners for that event).

So for a 10k, a ST runner would do 90 mpw and a FT runner still 75-80 mpw or so.

Long, straight tempos work great for FT runners. The key is to run them slow, at around marathon-pace which is highly aerobic, mentally not too taxing and doesn't require excessive recovery afterwards. It's the straight 20-30 min duration 1-hour race pace tempos (often done between 10k-HM pace) that the FT guys struggle with, and should be broken up in longer intervals or into a progressive tempo, so they can recruit more and more FT fibers as the tempo goes on.

Basically if training both for distance, breaking up tempos into long intervals with short rest.

Less volume long runs but faster pace. Faster paces on regular runs.

I do not agree if distance training that you are goi gto hurt a fast twitch runners advantage for distance races with tempo type paces.