#89 - Concurrent training with Dr Tommy Lundberg

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Feb 7, 2025

Dr. Tommy Lundberg, a leading expert from the Karolinska Institute, discusses the intriguing effects of concurrent training, where resistance and endurance workouts intersect. He reveals that combining these training methods often yields no negative impact on muscle growth and can even enhance endurance performance. Lundberg also delves into how different training volumes affect outcomes, injury prevention strategies, and the surprising role of resistance training in endurance adaptations. Additionally, he touches on the research challenges associated with exercise responses, including insights into gender and training.

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ANECDOTE

Tommy's Background

Tommy Lundberg played soccer in Finland's league.
He realized he wouldn't make it to the English Premier League and shifted his focus to exercise physiology.

INSIGHT

Concurrent Training Defined

Concurrent training combines endurance and resistance training within the same program.
Lundberg's research focuses on endurance training's effects on strength adaptations.

ADVICE

Resistance Training for Endurance Athletes

For endurance athletes, resistance training can improve performance.
Use high loads explosively, don't train like a bodybuilder.

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Dr Glenn McConell chats with Dr Tommy Lundberg from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. He is an expert on resistance training (RT) and has focussed on the effect of concurrent training on exercise adaptations. That is, does doing concurrent resistance and endurance training affect the responses to resistance and endurance training compared to doing either alone. His research has specifically focused on the effects of endurance training on resistance training adaptations although we also discussed the effect of resistance training on endurance training adaptations. It appears that in many people concurrent training has either no interfering effect or may even be beneficial. However there is some limited research that endurance training, although not affecting hypertrophy, may reduce strength and/or speed of contraction. He has also done a lot of work on biological males been involved in female sports (which will be converted in a future podcast). I found it a very interesting chat. Enjoy! X: @TLexercise. 0:00. Introduction 3:03. Tommy’s background 5:25. Aland Islands 7:25. What is concurrent training? 9:40. Resistance training (RT) can benefit endurance performance 13:35. Does RT affect injuries? 15:05. The amount/volume of training and concurrent training 18:32. Little effect of endurance training on hypertrophy but might effect strength 21:30. Glenn’s frustrations at the gym 24:15. Single-leg research studies vs whole body exercise 31:20. AMPK and metabolism etc 34:00. Potential mechanisms involved 35:40. Interference of endurance on strength hasn’t been clearly shown 38:00. RT can improve endurance performance and economy 41:10. Specificity of RT adaptations 45:55. Running straight after the gym 48:55. How much RT is enough/sufficient/optimal 51.20. Benefits of circuit training 53:05. Endurance exercise interfering with strength/contraction speed 54:20. Relationship between muscle size and strength 59:05. Explosive RT best for endurance exercise 1:04:35. Order of the concurrent training 1:06:35. Arterial stiffness/health and concurrent training 1:10:25. Team sports and concurrent training 1:12.08. Different sports a concurrent training 1:13:05. Mechanisms: gene expression etc 1:16:22. Fatigue and concurrent training 1:17:40. If short on time what exercise would you recommend? 1:19:55. Sex differences? 1:20:45. Age effects? 1:21:20. Controversies in the field 1:24:25. Things that influencers can get wrong 1:25:45. Other areas that he is investigating 1:27:50. Anti inflammatories can reduce resistance training gains 1:30:08. Takeaway messages 1:31:14. Outro Inside Exercise brings to you the who's who of research in exercise metabolism, exercise physiology and exercise’s effects on health. With scientific rigor, these researchers discuss popular exercise topics while providing practical strategies for all. The interviewer, Emeritus Professor Glenn McConell, has an international research profile following 30 years of Exercise Metabolism research experience while at The University of Melbourne, Ball State University, Monash University, the University of Copenhagen and Victoria University. He has published over 120 peer reviewed journal articles and recently edited an Exercise Metabolism eBook written by world experts on 17 different topics (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-94305-9). Connect with Inside Exercise and Glenn McConell at: Twitter: @Inside_exercise and @GlennMcConell1 Instagram: insideexercise Facebook: Glenn McConell LinkedIn: Glenn McConell https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-mcconell-83475460 ResearchGate: Glenn McConell Email: glenn.mcconell@gmail.com Subscribe to Inside exercise: Spotify: shorturl.at/tyGHL Apple Podcasts: shorturl.at/oFQRU YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@insideexercise Anchor: https://anchor.fm/insideexercise Google Podcasts: shorturl.at/bfhHI Anchor: https://anchor.fm/insideexercise Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/4025218 Not medical advice