What does the research say? (Part 3 here) In Part 1 we talked about why strength is underrated in soccer, how it can improve speed without extra conditioning, and the pitfall of focusing on “fitness” to the exclusion of other physical training. Now we’re going to dig a little deeper into how strength training changes maximal aerobic speed (MAS) and VO₂ max. If you’re a soccer coach who wants to help their players get faster, we are now setting the stage for training guidelines. Recap: The two pillars of endurance Aerobic performance rides on two key traits: VO₂ max (engine size) and MAS (how fast that engine moves you). VO₂ max gets the headlines, but MAS is the “missing ingredient” many coaches overlook. Your MAS is determined by how much capacity you have divided by how much oxygen it costs you to move. Great VO₂ capacity but costly movement means