Are We Actually Training for Speed? Essay

Submitted By cliffegeorge
Words: 4130
Pages: 17
Open Document
Are We Actually Training For Speed?
Speed is often misconceptualized by many coaches and performers meaning that the way we train for speed is not as efficient as it could be, with a focus on stride frequency and stride length, rather than ground reaction force. In this essay I plan to briefly breakdown the sport (100m sprint), and then look into what we should be training for the sport, and how we should be doing this. This will allow misunderstood coaches and performers to adapt their training accordingly with support from sound, academic research.
The 100m determines ‘the fastest man/woman on the planet’ and is often the focal point of any track and field meeting. From a physical stand point it is simply who moves fastest from start to finish with the athlete drawing on the phosphagen system to create ATP through the breakdown of creatine phosphate, which has huge amounts of energy allowing us to perform at 100% (Cheetham et al, 1986). Performance in the 100m sprint is influenced by a multitude of factors including starting strategy, stride length, stride frequency, physiological demands, biomechanics, neural influences, muscle composition, anthropometrics, and track and environmental conditions (Majumdar and Robergs, 2011). I am interested in the biomechanical and aspects which will determine how we should train for the sport from a technical and physiological viewpoint.
The current focus on stride length and frequency of some coaches can be thrown away simply because successful men have a low frequency, yet the faster women have a higher frequency (Paruzel-Dyja et al., 2006). If it was the case that there was a relationship between the 2 affecting sprint performance then this wouldn’t be the case, there is clearly more to the biomechanics behind the sprint action. This thinking has probably come because of people like Usain Bolt with his incredible stride length which coaches then believe is the key to success within sprinting, which as we will see is not the case.
Research has shown that successful mechanical determinants of 100m performance were a 'velocity-oriented' force-velocity profile, explained by a greater ability to apply the resultant GRF (Ground Reaction Force) vector with a forward orientation over the acceleration phase, and a higher step frequency resulting from a shorter contact time (Morin et al., 2012). Put simply having the ability to apply a high GRF transfers into better results when matched with good technique. GRF determinants affecting sprinting physiologically are the force we can exert, and how quickly we can do this (Lockie et al., 2012), therefore we should focus on these factors in training, exerting a large force, and doing it as shorter time as possible.
All training types for sprinting do increase performance, whether it is hill sprints, weighted sprints, plyometrics etc; however some are more effective than others (Lockie et al., 2012). Incline Treadmill running was found to increase power production for the legs (Swanson and Caldwell, 2000) which was a great contributor during the accelleration phase (Chelly and Denis, 2001), however the kinematics were found to be different when running on a treadmill compared to running on track where the competitions are held (Myer et al., 2007). These altering kinematics were also shown to have a negative effect on sprint kinematics as certain muscle groups adapted to the overload (Cronin, Hansen, Kawamori, & Mcnair, 2008) required to run on an incline, rather than a flat surface which is competed on. It shows the importance of doing sports specific training which is not always the case in coaching athletics.
Lower limb strength training exercises such as the squat were shown to increase sprint performance significantly (Comfort, Haigh, & Matthews, 2012) due to the increased ability to produce a large force, nonetheless there are some downsides for sprinters as this type of training increases cross-sectional area and muscle mass
Show More

Related Documents: Are We Actually Training for Speed? Essay

Dynamic Stretching Research Paper

you’re already prepared, for the effect the game will have on you, meaning your body won’t be shocked by the sudden raise in BPM (Beats per minute.) Studies show that static stretches actually have a detrimental effect on explosive movements and strength output. From my own experience playing American Football, we always warm up with 5 minutes of static stretching then 10 minutes of dynamic stretching. I think the contrast of using the two is most effective as you’re stretching the muscles before…

Words 2053 - Pages 9

P6, M4, D2 - Review Physiological Data Collected, Describing, Explaining, Analysing the Effects of Exercise on the Musculoskeletal, Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Energy System Essays

In this assignment I will be reviewing the different effects of exercise on the body system including the acute and long term using the pre-exercise, exercise and post-exercise physiological data which I collected based on interval and continuous training method. I will also be including the advantages and disadvantages of these, also the participants’ strengths and areas where they can improve on. - Effect of exercise on the musculoskeletal system As Andre began to exercise, this had an effect…

Words 1872 - Pages 8

Cardiovascular Physiology paper

just as any other activity or event that would speed up the heart. My group hypothesized that in general; cardiac output will increase while exercising. People who exercise 3 or more times a week will have a larger increase in cardiac output during exercise and also a quicker recovery rate than those who don’t work out at all. However, after performing the experiment and graphing the data we concluded that our original hypothesis was incorrect. We somehow confused ourselves and ended up predicting…

Words 444 - Pages 2

Should Pitbulls Be Family Pets

born mean, pit bulls have been trained to fight and attack people because of their strength and speed which makes them a dangerous predator but really pit bulls can be really caring and well trained, and most of all pit bulls just want to please their owners which makes them a really loyal and protective breed. So we think pitbulls are really great dogs if they are taught well and pit bulls are actually about the nicest dogs you can find, which makes us think that pit bulls should be allowed to be…

Words 916 - Pages 4

Gym Recovery Research Paper

Speed up your workouts in which your body is not accustomed and you’ll be sore the next morning. Add a tri or giant set to your workouts and you’ll probably be sore in the morning. Add an 20 extra pounds to the bar and you’ll probably be sore in the morning…

Words 1002 - Pages 5

Essay on Future Speech

that I’ve been through. One thing I’ve learned is that failure is actually a good thing. How so? Well here it is; Failure allows us to see our mistakes, and allows us to see how good we really are at something. It also allows us to see what we need to change, or improve on in order to make ourselves successful. The most important thing I’ve learned from this quote is that if we let failure keep us down, we will never know what we could have accomplished in our lives. As most of you may know,…

Words 696 - Pages 3

Protein Research Paper

proteins: We break down proteins into their amino acid components and then rebuild them into our body proteins, which is called protein digestion and then protein synthesis. Proteins have specific roles in the body, some proteins are involved in structural support, while others are involved in bodily movement, or in defence against germs. For example; Antibodies defend the body from germs Contractile proteins are responsible for movement Storage proteins store amino acids Enzymes speed up chemical…

Words 438 - Pages 2

Rodeo History

waves behind the bucking chutes as they get the next cowboy ready to make his ride. Rodeo as we know it didn’t begin until the late 1800’s. Although it can be traced back to its Spanish roots. The Spanish started settling California and becoming cattle ranchers. “The very definition of “rodeo” is a Spanish word meaning roundup.”(Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame) Many of the rodeos in the late 1800’s were actually…

Words 855 - Pages 4

Training Facility Project Pl Trafalgar Cricket Club

MGW 2700 Damian Morgan 10 Trafalgar Cricket Club Training Facility Project Plan Klay Butler 21492670 Table of Contents | Page | 1. Description and rationale | 3 | 2. Feasibility study | 4 | 3. Objectives & WBS | 5 | 4. Cost estimates | 5 | 5. Time schedule | 6 | 6. Costed time reduction strategy | 6 | 7. Quality management system | 7 | 8. Steps in team superior performance | 8 | 9. Monitoring and evaluation system | 9 | 10. Closure conditions and form | 10 | 11…

Words 3838 - Pages 16

Multiple Sclerosis Case Study

any changes in mood after exercise training [14]. One randomized clinical trial (RCT) dealt with approximately 31 multiple sclerosis patients assigned to 3 different groups, such as treadmill training, yoga, or a control group. The treadmill and yoga groups were on an 8 week exercise regimen (24 sessions) and the control group followed a delayed exercise regimen. Depression, however, was not the primary outcome from this trial since it also tested for balance, speed, endurance, fatigue, depression…

Words 3187 - Pages 13