3 reasons to avoid treadmill workouts

Treadmill training is a popular choice for many. You're indoors when the weather is bad and it's pretty easy to set intervals so you don't have to watch the clock, but there are several reasons why treadmill training is a sub-optimal option for soccer players (when you also have the option to train in the field).
 

Cons of running on a treadmill:

• limited hip extension
• Less effort than running on grass
• No directional changes

 

limited hip extension
Optimal movement in your hips is crucial to performance. The strength of the glutes is an important factor in terms of injury prevention, as they influence the movement of the lower back and knees.

Running on a treadmill tends to shorten your stride length, preventing your hips from extending and moving as forcefully as they do on grass. Depending on the design, this is often due to safety concerns, especially at high speeds, but changing running technique can have a detrimental effect on performance once you're back on the grass.

Less effort than running on grass
Mats can be quite inflatable. They were designed this way to limit the risks of repetitive impacts, but the downside of this is that each step on the treadmill will return more energy than a step on grass. This means you're putting less effort into achieving the same speed or distances you'd expect on solid ground, which can negatively affect your running economy and field performance.

To become stronger, more powerful or more efficient, your body needs to adapt to progressive overloads in training. Treadmill running eases the workload compared to grass running, making it a less-than-optimal option if used repeatedly to develop soccer-specific fitness.

No directional changes
To be effective, resistance training must be sport-specific. In football, this not only involves dribbling a ball with every movement, but must mimic the demands of the sport in terms of directional changes.
 
Slowing down and speeding up with changes in direction and movement provides a much greater muscle stimulus than running in straight lines. Without that stimulus in training, you will limit your potential to improve athleticism in matches and increase your risk of injury.
 
Should treadmills be avoided? Treadmill training is a less-than-ideal option for soccer players, but it can serve a purpose. If you don't have access to a field, or if you're in an area where it snows or rains where the field gets flooded, and in other cases that make running on grass or street difficult, sometimes it's better to run on a treadmill than not run.

Sources:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/184609961

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