Why might endurance athletes be hesitant to engage in strength training?

Endurance athletes may be hesitant to engage in strength training primarily because they believe it will lower their power-to-weight ratio. This concern stems from the idea that adding muscle mass through strength training could potentially lead to weight gain or increased body mass, which might hinder their efficiency and performance in endurance activities like running, cycling, or swimming. Endurance events often require athletes to maintain a high power-to-weight ratio to optimize speed and efficiency over long distances. Therefore, they may think that focusing solely on endurance training is the best way to improve their performance while maintaining an ideal body composition.

While other concerns such as injury risks, impacts on speed, and time constraints are relevant in the broader context of an athlete's training regimen, the specific belief about the effect of strength training on the power-to-weight ratio is a key reason that endurance athletes might avoid incorporating it into their routines.