Hill Running Benefits: How Incline Training Helps Your Fitness

You might think of hill running as just any other typical run, or perhaps as a formidable obstacle to avoid altogether. However, did you know there's an entire world of history and culture behind this challenging activity?

Picture this: you were in Scotland, hundreds of years ago. Believe it or not, hill running, or "fell running" as it's known there, is a centuries-old sport. It originated with shepherds and villagers who challenged each other to races up and down the fells, or hills, in their area. These races, steeped in tradition and pride, still happen today, with athletes tackling routes that'll leave you breathless just thinking about them!

Of course, hill running isn't only about organized races. It's been an integral part of training for runners of all types for decades. Ever heard of the legendary coach Arthur Lydiard? Back in the mid-20th century, this New Zealand running coach incorporated hill running into his athletes' regimes, recognizing its power in building strength, speed, and endurance. His athletes went on to win numerous Olympic medals, proving his methods were more than effective.

Nowadays, hill running is recognized worldwide as an effective way to enhance physical and mental fortitude. So next time you see a hill looming in the distance during your run, don't shy away from it. 

Think about those Scottish villagers, or Lydiard's Olympic athletes, and tackle that ascent! Remember, what goes up must come down - and the joy of running downhill, with the wind in your hair and gravity on your side, is a reward in itself.

With that in mind, how does it sound giving it a go? Any hill or ascending type of path will do. And if you’re wondering why it’s better than flat surface running, read on to find out why.

Improves Running Economy

Running economy is a term that's often thrown around in the running world, but what does it actually mean? Does it mean it makes financial sense? Well, not exactly. In its simplest terms, running economy refers to the energy cost of running at a given pace. 

In other words, it's how efficiently your body uses oxygen to maintain a certain speed or level of performance. Much like a car, the less fuel (or oxygen) you use to travel a certain distance, the better your economy.

Now, you might be wondering how hill running comes into play here. The beauty of hill running is that it pushes your body in ways that flat running simply can't. When you're powering up a hill, you're engaging more muscle fibers, particularly the ones often underutilized in flat running. You're teaching your body to recruit these fibers more effectively, and you're also strengthening these muscles. The result? Improved muscle power and coordination, both of which contribute to a better running economy.

Hill running also enhances your cardiovascular fitness by forcing your heart and lungs to work harder. As your cardiopulmonary system becomes more efficient, it can deliver more oxygen on demand to your working muscles during running. This allows you to maintain a faster pace with the same amount of effort, thereby improving your running economy.

But that's not all. Hill running also helps improve your biomechanics, or running form. The uphill running position naturally encourages a shorter stride, higher knee lift, and increased arm swing, which are all elements of an efficient running form. By practicing this form on hills, you're likely to carry over these improvements to flat running.

The benefits of hill running go far beyond the sweat and fatigue you'll feel in the moment. It's a tool for long-term improvement, transforming you into a more efficient, economical runner.

Can Help Build Lean Muscle

Running hills, while tough, is akin to going through a resistance workout. The incline adds an element of difficulty to your run that stimulates muscle growth, much like weightlifting would. So, how does hill running help with muscle building? And more importantly, which areas of your body benefit most from this muscular stimulation?

Let's start with the basics: when you're running uphill, you're moving against gravity in addition to linear forward movement. This requires greater force production from your muscles with each stride. Your body responds to this increased demand by strengthening and building up the muscles being used. It's essentially a process of adaptation.

So, which muscles get the most work during hill running? Primarily, it's the lower body that takes the lead. Your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves are all significantly engaged as they propel you upwards. These muscle groups have to work harder to generate the necessary force to overcome the incline, leading to increased strength and muscle growth over time.

The benefits, however, aren't limited to your legs. Your core muscles – including your abs, obliques, and lower back – are also engaged during hill running. They work to stabilize your body as you tackle the uneven and challenging terrain of a hill. This leads to improved core strength and definition.

Even your upper body gets in on the action. Your arms need to pump harder to counterbalance the action of your legs and maintain momentum as you climb. This results in a strengthening effect on your shoulder and arm muscles.

But it's not just the uphill that helps with muscle building. Running downhill requires a good deal of eccentric muscle control. This is when your muscles lengthen under tension as they work to control your speed and stability on the descent. This eccentric loading can stimulate significant muscle growth and strength, particularly in the quadriceps.

So, while those hills might seem intimidating, think of them as your outdoor gym. Tackling them regularly can help you build strength, power, and muscle definition, enhancing not just your running performance, but your overall physical fitness.

Decreases Injury Risk

So, you're eyeing that hill and thinking about the grind. You're aware it's going to be tough, but did you know tackling that slope might be one of the best things you can do to prevent injuries? That's right, hill running is a surprising ally when it comes to injury prevention. 

Let's explore how.

First, consider the demands of hill running. When you're ascending, you're required to lift your knees higher, which in turn strengthens your hip flexors and glutes. On the descent, you're resisting gravity, creating an eccentric loading on your muscles, particularly the quadriceps. 

This back-and-forth uphill and downhill running promotes balanced muscle development. It reduces the chance of developing muscular imbalances which are often the root cause of many common running injuries.

Furthermore, many people do not realize that hill running serves as a form of resistance training, contributing to increased muscle strength and power. This increased strength not only enhances performance but also ensures that your muscles and connective tissues are more resilient and less prone to injury. With stronger muscles, your body can better absorb the impact of each step, reducing the strain on your joints.

Now, think about your running form. Hill running promotes good form, encouraging a forward lean, and stronger arm swing. These adaptations can reduce the risk of injuries by optimizing running mechanics and efficiency as alluded to.

Plus, running up a hill is actually a lower-impact activity compared to running on flat ground. Why? Because the slope of the hill reduces the landing impact on each stride. Lower impact means less stress on your joints and connective tissues, reducing the risk of overuse injuries.

Just to be safe, it is still a good idea to take supplemental collagen to safeguard those precious connective tissue in your joints from damage.

But it's not just about the physical. The mental toughness you build from hill running can also contribute to injury prevention. By developing your capacity to listen to your body, push through discomfort, but also to know when it's time to back off and rest.

Improves Anaerobic Capacity

To fully appreciate how hill running increases anaerobic capacity, we need to understand what anaerobic capacity means. In essence, it's your body's ability to generate energy without oxygen. 

You see, when you perform any high-intensity exercise that makes your heart rate soar, like sprinting or heavy weightlifting, your body can't deliver oxygen to your muscles fast enough. So, your muscles shift to anaerobic metabolism, producing energy even in the absence of oxygen.

Imagine yourself running uphill. It's challenging, isn't it? You're pushing hard, your heart rate is spiking, and you're breathing heavily. You're asking your body to perform at a high intensity. In response, your body increasingly relies on anaerobic metabolism to meet energy demands. By doing this regularly, you're essentially training your body to become more efficient at anaerobic energy production. This, in turn, is what improves your anaerobic capacity.

But the benefits of hill running for anaerobic capacity don't stop there. As you run uphill, you're engaging more muscle fibers and working them hard. This encourages the growth and strengthening of these muscle fibers, particularly the fast-twitch fibers that play a crucial role in anaerobic activities.

Creatine and Peak ATP are especially suited for increasing anaerobic performance, making Foundation highly recommended for your runs.

Hill running will also enhance your lactate threshold, which is the point at which lactic acid starts to accumulate in your muscles faster than your body can remove it, causing fatigue. By regularly exposing your body to this kind of intense exercise, you're teaching it to become more efficient at buffering and clearing lactic acid. This can help delay the onset of fatigue during high-intensity efforts, effectively allowing you to work out longer.

Accelerates Calorie Usage and Weight Loss

If weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight is on your agenda, and you're wondering how to make your runs more effective, look no further than hill running. In fact, those looming inclines you might often dread are some of your best allies in burning calories. 

When you're running on flat ground, you're certainly burning calories. But introduce an uphill climb, and your body has to work significantly harder to overcome gravity. That increased effort means more energy expenditure and, in turn, more calories burned. The steeper and longer the hill, the more calories you're likely to burn. 

But here's another interesting aspect: downhill running also burns more calories than running on flat ground. While it might feel easier than running uphill, running downhill requires a unique kind of muscular effort. You're controlling your descent, stabilizing your body, and resisting the pull of gravity, all of which require energy. Think of it as the negative portion of an exercise, still requiring muscular control to accomplish.

Hill running can also lead to an increased afterburn effect, also known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). This means that your body continues to burn calories at an elevated rate even after you've completed your run, as it works to restore itself to its pre-exercise state. 

And as previously mentioned, you’re also going to be building muscle, particularly in your lower body and core. And here's the thing about muscle—it's metabolically active. 

This means it burns more calories even at rest, compared to fat. So, the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be, and the more calories you'll burn throughout the day, not just during your run.

Enhances Speed and Power For Sports Disciplines

Hill running can play a pivotal role in improving speed and power for athletes across various sports disciplines. If you're an athlete, running up a hill can feel like a monumental challenge. But with every stride, and every burst of effort you give, you are building up strength, speed, and power that can significantly boost your performance. 

When you run uphill, the resistance provided by the gradient forces your muscles to work harder than they would on a flat surface. This natural resistance acts like weightlifting for your legs, increasing muscle mass and power. Specifically, the large muscles in your lower body – your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves – bear the brunt of this work. Over time, they become stronger and more powerful.

This increase in strength and power translates to faster running speeds. How? Well, think about each stride you take when you're running. The power from your lower body propels you forward. The more power you can exert with each stride, the faster you can move. So, by strengthening your leg muscles through hill running, you effectively increase your potential speed.

The anaerobic performance enhancement is also crucial in sports that require explosive movements, like sprinting, football, basketball, or soccer. The strain of pushing uphill in short, intense efforts helps build this capacity, improving your performance during these high-intensity bursts.

Importantly, hill running also teaches your body to operate efficiently under stress. It requires a coordinated effort from various muscles, thereby improving your overall form and running mechanics. Good running form contributes to more efficient energy use, leading to improved speed and endurance.

Final Words

So, whaddya think? It’s absolutely worth ditching the flats and heading for the hills with all its potential benefits. Done consistently over the period of a few months and you’ll feel like you’ve been given a new body altogether.