Can a runner have too much leg muscle?

Question

ok, so i know that when a person is jacked all around that they generally can't run very fast because all of the oxygen goes to their muscles. but does having a lot of leg muscle affect the endurance and speed of a distance runner??

Answer 1

Yes it does. Endurance runners don't want a bunch of bulky muscle. If you watch the olympics, you'll notice that the marathoners, even the guys, have no muscle on their arms. Having too much bulky muscle can affect running negatively, but at the same time you can't run without muscle. If you want to be a good runner, do NOT lift weights for your legs, running will give you muscle where you need it.

Answer 2

No leg mass does not effect your edurance at all! i have been running 6 1/2 yrs i know. endurance is just from training. now days alot of the runners we see  on tv is the people who may weigh 80 pounds and have muscles the size of pasta noodles.

The man who won the KY State Champ. In XC, and in Track 1600m, 3200 m, and 800 m run. A Man by the name of Ron Duncan. He weighed 250 his senior year. By my knowing I believe you have to have muscle to power your self up some of the hills around here in Cross Crountry. and track just to push yourself around the track on them windy days.

Answer 3

Believe it or not...Runners muscle  don't increases in size but in muscle fibers... This means runners muscles are condition differently which means it has more stamina than a body builder...

Too much size on a runner leg - slows them down or required too much energy to maintain a good speed.

runner legs under weight train, usually get improve times in races..

Answer 4

BULL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what every one else is sayin is a load of you know what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... im a long distance and short distance runner and i have alot of leg muscle, when i say alot i mean ALOT!!!!! nd i run fine......

MY BP's:

-2 miles in 11 min 10 seconds.

-3 miles in 14 min 14 seconds.

-5 miles in 22 min 56 seconds.

-10 miles in 45 min 03 seconds.

and in short distance

100m- 10.59 seconds

200- 18.06 seconds...

So i think i know what im talking about... and by the way ive been running for 16 years now..

Answer 5

#1. "belldog";s answer makes NO sense. his 200 spil i nhalf is faster than his 100.

anyways, when you run alot, you will build muscle. not too much but your legs will get a little tighter in your jeans..

Muscle makes you stronger, but make sure that you build it by running b/c it makes the muscle right for running

Answer 6

It takes strength to run,and run fast.

Too much muscle means that you are having to carry all of those muscles down the track or road along with the rest of your body.

Each runner has to find the best balance as far as the size of their muscles.

If you are too small you do not have the strength to run fast,and if you are too large it is also a handicap.

Most distance runners do not look like sprinters, because even though their top speed is not close to a sprinter's speed they are more efficient, so they can run at a higher percentage of maximum for a longer period of time.

Answer 7

I beelieve..the more muscle, the longer endurance...gives you more stamina.....

Answer 8

no although having a large amount of leg muscle would add weight to ur body the additional muscle would counter act these effects with would enable the runner to run better