Coaches have prescribed hill sprints to build leg strength for decades. A 2026 meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials suggests the mechanism may not be what most coaches assume.
Meta-analysis found no significant effects on knee strength, jumping performance, or aerobic capacity from structured uphill sprint protocols (effect sizes of 0.09 to 0.31). What the narrative data did support: improvements in running economy, repeated sprint ability, and ventilatory threshold. Outcomes that matter directly to race performance.
Hill work belongs in your training, but probably not as a strength builder. Think of it as a running economy and speed intervention. A typical effective protocol was 10 to 14 x 30-second sprints at a 10% grade, 2 to 3 times per week over 6 to 8 weeks.
Study note: overall certainty of evidence was rated low, and only 13 trials met inclusion criteria.
Do you include any uphill running in your weekly training, and what do you use it for?