Volume vs Intensity for Runners, Hyrox or OCR Training

Runners, OCR and Hyrox competitors…might you be doing too much speed work?

It’s often (everywhere really, all the time) espoused by fitness trainers and coaches that higher intensity interventions will lead to the best speed performance outcomes….

But is is true??

This study looked at Volume vs Intensity.

It split two sets of athletes into Group A (the speed group) and Group B (the volume group).

Both groups did a 2 week preparatory phase prior to the study that was identical, and then both groups recorded 3km time trials.

Then, Group A were assigned (over 2 weeks), 10 identical speed workouts of 6 x 3 Minutes, whilst the Group B were told to increase their total running volume by 70%.

Which Group performed better at the next time trial?

The results were almost identical, albeit a slight improvement from the speed group.

However, using HRV measurements to determine central nervous system fatigue, self reported fatigue levels, and other measures collected from blood and urine samples, Group A (the speed group) faired worse than Group B - who felt less fatigue and had better HRV despite running an average of 77km per week vs the 45km per week that the speed group accrued.

From a practical standpoint, because most people’s training programmes go longer than 2 weeks - you can can clearly see how from a fatigue and overall motivation to train standpoint - you might be way better off focusing your effort and time into adequate volume, rather than intensity.

Better recovery, with less stress on CNS and joints.

Some speed work is important, but more so for the neuromuscular side to running - not just “anaerobic” development, which has to be underpinned firstly by a solid aerobic base.

Make sure that part of your hyrox training plan has adequate weekly volume of running - there are, after all, 8km to complete in the event.

Nuuttila et al. “Physiological, Perceptual, and Performance Responses to the 2-Week Block of High- versus Low-Intensity Endurance Training” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

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