Do you feel the need for speed?

The science behind speed is always evolving and here we look at the thoughts, theories and ways of training to consider in the quest for greater velocity

Across all the sprints events – everything else being equal – the fastest athlete over 20m-40m will be the superior performer. Why? They will be able to apply more force into the track surface with greater power, they will have quicker contact times (being more reactive and possessing superior leg stiffness) and they will have greater limb speed (being able to generate greater force in a shorter time).

The existing sports science on improving sprint speed (acceleration and maximum velocity), is not always easy to decipher, nor does it provide too many definitive answers. This can leave coaches scratching their heads about how to help their athletes. 

A prime example of this would be when you try to discover how to make an athlete faster with a search on the PubMed database. Although much research will appear, it doesn’t often actually involve elite sprinters and will revolve around sportsmen and sportswomen from other sports such as football and rugby. 

However, it is possible to discern some fundamentals and some “let’s try it” findings which coaches and athletes should consider implementing.

Stride length or stride frequency?

The science behind speed largely focuses on how stride frequency and stride length can be changed to elevate maximum velocity and acceleration. There has also been a focus on the energy system contribution to sprints, the role of the central nervous system and overspeed conditions and ω how to condition greater speed. At most sprint levels, the emphasis is usually on increasing stride length – at elite level in particular there is not a great difference in terms of how fast male and female sprinters move their legs. 

However, I need to clarify that this assumes the athlete has good sprint mechanics. If they don’t then this will of course need to be worked on. Indeed, specific technical improvement may be the most important factor when it comes to improving speed. 

Increasing stride length beyond optimising a sprinter’s technique largely rests on creating more power. When a sprinter’s foot makes contact with the track, he or she will need to convert vertical forces into horizontal ones.

Sports science shows that human locomotion is predisposed to creating vertical forces, so  converting the “down” into “forward go” becomes fundamental. In the…