I've been reading about fast-twitch (FT) and slow-twitch (ST) muscle differences a little and one of the takeaways has been that FT take longer to recover
Yes and No
There are multiple factors when it come to recovery.
1) Large Muscle take longer to recover than smaller muscles (Research Dr Fred Hatfield)
2) Eccentric Component Exercises
Exercises like Squat, Pressing, etc that have an Eccentric Component, require more recovery time.
3) Concentric Component Exercise
a) Riding A Bike
Exercises like riding a bike only have a Concentric Component; there is not Eccentric Component.
Thus, greater recovery time occurs from riding a bike than running. There is an enormous Eccentric Component to running.
Running produce Eccentric load of 3 - 5 time body weight with each foot fall. A 200 lb person would encounter 600 to 1,000 pound of Eccentric Force with each foot fall. Multiple that by the number of foot falls in running a mile.
b) Olympic Lifts/Movements
Olympic Lifts/Movements are primarily have a Concentric Component.
There is very little if any Eccentric Component, dependent on the movement performed.
That is one of the reason that Olympic Lifters are able to train those lift with more frequency and volume.
Is there perhaps value in taking sets to failure to keep/shift more ST when it comes to increasing work capacity?
Increasing Work Capacity
For Maximum Strength and Power Training increasing work capacity is best accomplished with increasing Tonnage.
Training to failure with moderate to high repetitions of moderate to low loads is effective at increasing muscle mass.
However, it comes at the expense of a decrease in Maximum Strength, Power and Speed.
Dr Jonathan Oliver's Cluster Set Hypertrophy Training allowed athletes to gain muscle without sacrificing those Strengths.
As someone said, "Bodybuilders look like Tarzan and lift like Jane". That usually lights them up; even though it's a that when only employing Hypertrophy Training.
