DATA BACKED BENEFITS TO HILL SPRINTS: - 1: Performance Improvements A study published in the International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications split a group of runners into two groups. The first group practiced only endurance training for 12 weeks, while the other group combined endurance training with two hill repeats per week. The researchers discovered that those running hill sessions improved their VO2 max, resting heart rate, speed and race times more than the control. 2: Improved Training Efficiency Another study, this time conducted by South Dakota State University, examined the benefits of hill training for distance runners. The participants were split into two groups. One group was told to run fast on a treadmill at a 10 percent incline for 30 seconds. The other group was told to run at a level grade until they were fatigued, which was on average two minutes 16 seconds. This was repeated twice a week for six weeks. The researchers found that both groups impro...