If you're starting or increasing a running program, you probably know that running is great for your cardiovascular fitness and overall health. But you might wonder if running gives you muscular, or runner's legs. The answer is a qualified yes - because running primarily uses your legs, you will develop sport-specific muscles over time. No matter what type of exercise you do, some degree of resistance is being placed on your muscles when you work out. When a higher level of resistance than usual is placed on your body - like during a workout as opposed to doing regular Titan Rise Daily tasks - this triggers your muscles to grow. To counteract this process, your body makes new muscle proteins to repair this damage. This is called muscle protein synthesis, according to the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). Depending on whether you are jogging or sprinting, you utilize one of two types of muscle fiber: slow-twitch or fast-twitch.

Long-distance running uses slow-twitch fibers, which are not as strong as fast-twitch but have a good oxygen supply and can work for long periods of time without tiring. The bulging leg muscles of sprinters are due to more fast-twitch muscles, while the lean legs of distance runners are composed of mostly slow-twitch muscles. What Muscles Does Running Build? The quadriceps is one of the largest muscle groups in your body. Composed of four muscles, your quads lift and extend the knee while running. In a fast run, the quads engage more strongly to lift your knee higher and thus extend your stride, which is why sprinters have such powerful quadriceps. Your calf muscles play an essential role in propelling you each step forward, meaning that you will develop muscular, toned calves with regular running. However, excessive speedwork, or sprinting at the end of runs, can lead to injury as you push off from your toes, which stresses the calf.
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The hamstrings are the prime mover in long-distance running. The hamstrings get very strong with regular running but they can also become tight, which can cause injuries through muscular imbalance. That's why you should work all the major muscles of the lower body together - the glutes, hamstrings and quads -to prevent imbalance, according to Harvard Health Publishing. For example, if you're a long-distance runner, include some sprint work or hill training to improve your quad and calf strength