Can a genetically endurance oriented person with predominately slow twitch fibers attain a high level of success in the 800?
If so, what would be the most effective way for them train?
Can a genetically endurance oriented person with predominately slow twitch fibers attain a high level of success in the 800?
If so, what would be the most effective way for them train?
wottlewaddled wrote:
Can a genetically endurance oriented person with predominately slow twitch fibers attain a high level of success in the 800?
If so, what would be the most effective way for them train?
Why would such a runner pursue the 800 as a primary event?
What is up with everyone romanticizing the 800 lately?
When starting to train, how would you possibly know the person is predominately slow twitch?
I guess if you biopsied you might guess, but even that would be influenced by the other sports the person did.
Almost no matter how you trained for the 800, you would be better at the 1500. If you just did 400 training, you might be better at the 800 than the 1500, but you would really risk never training your slow twitch, at all, with 400 training and therefore, never improving, at all.
What I'm asking is if a person with a natural inclination toward endurance could become a high level 800 runner. And if so, would you do a lot of overdistance work to engage the ST fibers, or a lot of speed to enhance the capabilities of the FT (or to manipulate the behavior of all muscle fibers as a whole)?
Depends on what % really. 60% slow twitch you probably wouldn't be hindered at all. 80% slow twitch maybe not. And yes you'd be best off training like an 8/15 guy with more overdistance work - play to your strengths. You won't respond as well to sprint type stuff.
wottlewaddled wrote:
What I'm asking is if a person with a natural inclination toward endurance could become a high level 800 runner. And if so, would you do a lot of overdistance work to engage the ST fibers, or a lot of speed to enhance the capabilities of the FT (or to manipulate the behavior of all muscle fibers as a whole)?
Without some lab testing, you don't know if you are naturally inclined. Just train for what your goal is. If you need more endurance, then practice endurance. If you need more sprint ability, practice more sprinting. If you need both, then practice both.
If you have already decided that you're genetically "slow twitch," it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You have probably never trained as a sprinter, and probably never will. All too easy to blame the predictable result on your genes.
wottlewaddled wrote:
What I'm asking is if a person with a natural inclination toward endurance could become a high level 800 runner. And if so, would you do a lot of overdistance work to engage the ST fibers, or a lot of speed to enhance the capabilities of the FT (or to manipulate the behavior of all muscle fibers as a whole)?
800m is an endurance event. Lydiard's middle distance runners did the more or less the same training as his marathon runners.
im a slow twitch guy and not the great at the 800. just barely under the 2 minute mark, certainly not my main event by any means. but i mean its fun, probably the most fun race out there.
Randy Oldman wrote:
800m is an endurance event. Lydiard's middle distance runners did the more or less the same training as his marathon runners.
If today's 800 elites had the stuff they were (legally) on in the 50's and 60's, more than one of them would run 1:39. Even so, sprinters like Amos, Rudisha and Kipketer are 3+ seconds faster than the fastest of that era.
Take away the massive CNS boost of old-school PED's, and distance runners are just distance runners.