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Will Pilates make me run better?

Holly Elliott

Pilates might not be at the top of your agenda if you’re main activity is running.

And rightly so.

If you want to improve your running then that should absolutely be the thing that you work at most in your week.

That said, there are things that running training alone won’t improve that perhaps other types of activity will.

Enter this nice piece of research:

Pilates training improves 5-km run performance by changing metabolic cost and muscle activity in trained runners

By:

Paula Finatto, Edson Soares Da Silva, Alexandre B. Okamura, Bruna P. Almada, Henrique B. Oliveira, Leonardo A. PeyreÂ-Tartaruga

I should say that this research study was small (32 participants) but it is really clear and well laid out, so I think the findings are well worth sharing and thinking about.

In short:

  • The participants were split into two groups.

  • One group (the control group) did only running training for 12 weeks.

  • The other group (the pilates group) did the same running training as well as 2* 1 hour pilates sessions per week for 12 weeks.

  • 5km running time, effect on metabolism/energy drain caused by running & muscle activation were measured.

What did the researchers find?

  • both groups ran the 5km quicker at the end of the 12 weeks but the pilates group times improved more than the running group.

  • both groups fitness improved (VO2 Max) but the pilates group improved more.

  • both groups metabolic cost (energy used to run) improved but the pilates group improved more.

  • the pilates group showed lower activation of the muscles of the trunk during running.

What can we learn from this?

  • We could say that the pilates group became more efficient at running.

  • Moving the legs (as in running) causes movement in the pelvis and spine. If you are able to stabilise your pelvis and spine in spite of the leg movement then you will expend less energy while running and be able to run more efficiently.

So will pilates make you run better?

If, by better, you mean more efficiently, then yes!

The following research study informed this blog post:

Finatto P, Silva ESD, Okamura AB, Almada BP, Oliveira HB, PeyreÂ-Tartaruga LA (2018) Pilates training improves 5-km run performance by changing metabolic cost and muscle activity in trained runners. PLoS ONE 13(3): e0194057. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0194057

The content of this blog is copyright of Holly Elliott GOsC 9607 trading as Helping Hands Health 15a Clayton Road, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4RP