Ever Notice That Runners Are Skinny?

Before getting down to business, I want to set a few things straight. And no, I’m not just doing this because I’m tired of having sand kicked in my face. Look at pictures of top runners at any distance from the mile on up, and you’ll notice one common trait—they’re all really skinny! Especially in the arms and torso, these are bodies that make people think more about prison camps than peak health. This impression is particularly prevalent with male runners, in part because our society still equates masculinity with brute strength.
But appearances can be deceiving. Yes, it’s true that in comparative studies, distance runners usually score below average in tests of muscular strength, as measured by a onerepetition maximum. But that’s largely because of the fact that their weight is also below average. When the figures are adjusted to take into account strength for body size, runners have average strength.
I’m making this point because some people, mostly men, are turned off by running because of how skinny top runners are. Given how we’re conditioned to think that bigger is always better, that’s understandable, but it’s also unfounded. Top runners are born with a body type that predisposes them to thinness, especially when they run upwards of 15 miles a day.
For most people, looking like that is just never going to happen, especially given that almost nobody is going to put in the number of miles that top runners do day after day, week after week. So don’t let the looks of a few genetic freaks—I’m including myself here—discourage you from running. You’re probably going to lose some weight as a result of your running, and I assume that most of you see that result as good. What you’re not going to lose is relative strength.