Improve Your Legs Strength to the Max - Accelerate Better Start and Speed - All About the Value of 40-meter Sprints

Running speed can be effectively trained with 40 m sprints. © healthyfood-musclestrength

40-meter sprint, speed, explosiveness: in many team sports, athletes have to complete a whole range of fitness tests in the course of their careers. One of the most common tests used to measure speed is the 40m sprint. This post looks at the benefits of sprinting 40m.

Speed ​​tests: the 40 m sprint in sports circles

While there are numerous other speed tests that are relatively easy to perform and provide direct feedback to coaches and athletes, the 40m test is very common in sports circles. Therefore, training plans to improve 40m sprint performance as well as linear speed are certainly helpful. For this reason, the USA also has entire training programs, websites and camps on the subject of "How do I improve my 40-meter sprint performance?"

This information relates to sports such as field hockey, soccer and rugby, in which players not only have to cover countless distances of similar length during a game, but also have to show top speeds and a good acceleration speed , e.g. when it comes to being the first to hit the ball be or run back to defense position.

For sports such as ice hockey (in which the players don't actually run at all), 40-meter sprints can be an important measure of strength and running speed. (1) A study showed a strong correlation between the 40-yard times of ice hockey players and their hit rate in the match. (2)

40 m sprint: Optimal training with a learning effect

Can't you improve your running speed just by practicing 40m runs? If untrained people train a sporting skill because they are to be tested in it, there is always an increase in performance, as this results in a learning effect. Developing strength through weight training, such as squats, or speed through plyometric exercises or jumping squats, is also always recommended as an alternative to running.

As always, however, research does not give a clear answer to this question. This is mainly due to the design of the study and also to the fact that instead of well-trained athletes, only "recreational athletes" or "untrained", usually male subjects (e.g. students) are used. The training effect that these studies prove is therefore less relevant for well-trained athletes or women.

Acceleration in the sprint

In a sprint over 40 m, the acceleration must definitely take place in the first 15 m. A bent forward posture and short, fast and powerful steps with short contact with the ground are beneficial here. Between 15 m and 40 m the stride length increases, the back leg is fully extended, pushes itself off the track with the toes, and the knee is brought up while running. As a rule, squats and jumping exercises are done during training , in which there is brief contact with the ground or which cause a stretch (triple extension) of the hips, knees and ankles. Such exercises are, for example, squat jumps, squats and skippings.

A reduction in the time of contact with the ground without a corresponding increase in force leads to a slower linear speed because less acceleration is achieved. Strength development in the context of resistance training is mostly done by lifting heavy weights (70–90% 1RM) with smaller repetitions or lighter weights (30–50% 1RM) with high repetitions. Both forms, along with squats, hip extension, and hip flexion, have been shown to be effective in improving 20m acceleration time. (4)

Improvement of the maximum strength in the legs

The improvement in maximum strength of the legs can in untrained people be crucial for increasing Sprint speed at experienced athletes however. This has to do with the need for a large increase in leg strength before any improvement in speed can be seen. And untrained people experience an increase in strength faster than athletes who have been training for 10 years or more.

In trained individuals, squats immediately before a sprint can have a direct impact on 40m running performance due to the postactivation potentiation (PAP) effect. (5) A set of 3 vigorous squats at 90% 1RM resulted in American -Football players on a university team at worse 40-meter sprint times than a load of 30%. A 4-minute “compulsory break” had to be observed between the exercise and the sprint. However, this is not recommended for untrained people, as the squats would have a very tiring effect and reduce the ability to generate strength .

The NFL (National Football League) combination

Every year the National Football League organizes a “Scouting Combine” for young talents in Indianapolis. To this end, the 300 best players from university teams are invited. The players are tested in various areas, including their physical and play skills. This 6-day event offers the 32 professional teams the opportunity to assess the skills of the players in all playing positions. The so-called "College Draft" then takes place 2 months later. The teams choose the players in different rounds. The earlier a player is selected, the more money he gets. The physical tests that players must complete include the 40-yard sprint (36.9m), the vertical jump and the bench press with a weight of 100 kg.

The players all take the same tests regardless of their position in the game. Both the 159 kg attacker (running back) and the 81 kg defender (defensive back) must complete the 40-yard test, but are only compared with players who play in the same position. The results of these tests only show a strong correlation to their so-called draft position for running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs - but strangely enough, these are precisely the game positions that often require 40-yard sprints at high speed during the game (11)!

The 40-yard sprint times always generate a lot of media interest in the US, largely because these numbers are easy to understand. Every fan therefore wants to know what 40 yard time their favorite player ran. In this year's Combine, the 79.5 kg Yamon Figurs achieved the fastest 40 yard time with 4.30 seconds. Figurs was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the 3rd round and was number 74 of them all. Even though he only came from a small college and had very little chance. He certainly owed his draft position largely to his 40-yard time.

Exercise the recovery phase

Most of the studies looked at the drive phase of the sprint. However, exercising the recovery phase is just as important. A study of untrained subjects showed that 40 yard times improved over a period of 8 weeks by using elastic bands to improve the strength of the hip flexors for the recovery phase. (6) Participants tied the band around their ankle and then raised the knee (high knee lift) against the tensile resistance of the band. Subjects were able to improve hip flexor strength by 12% and their 40 yard time by 9%.

The idea of ​​doing the movement under load is a good one, but it is unlikely to work for trained subjects because the uses of elastic bands are limited. In contrast to free weights or ropes, which require a large initial force to overcome inertia, elastic bands are easy to handle in the initial movement. With such Thera bands, the resistance only increases towards the end of the movement. This leads to an early slowdown, which is counterproductive for most athletic movements.

40 m sprint: efficient sprint training is the be-all and end-all

Since the 40m sprint is a very special running test and training time is usually limited, the running exercises have to be efficient. In team training, it is common to complete a series of 40-meter sprints and use the return trip to relax. However, this does not necessarily lead to optimal results. It would be better to plan precise break times in which the phosphocreatine system can recover. This allows athletes to reach their maximum speed on every sprint during the training season. But instead of having every training session run according to the same pattern, athletes should also incorporate overspeed and uphill training into their training plan.

An increase in the ground contact time and a reduction in the step length should be achieved by uphill or resistance running, because this can be an advantage during the first 15 m of acceleration. Mountain run or overspeed training cause an increase in stride length and a reduction in ground contact time; both are important for the 15 to 40m phase of the sprint. If you run uphill, downhill, resistance or overspeed during training, you should always pay attention to the running mechanics. Too much incline or resistance leads to major changes in running style and poor posture, which is detrimental when resistance is lost. The same applies to downhill and overspeed training (with pulling).

Sprint training: studies and scientific research

2 more recent scientific studies on this topic each had different approaches. The training protocol of the 1st study included pulling (overspeed sprints), pushing (resistance sprints) and normal sprints. These 3 groups were then compared when running a distance of 22 m. (7) The subjects in this study were untrained college students. The sprint training consisted of five 22-meter sprints each and was carried out 3 days a week for 6 weeks.

All 3 groups improved their times as part of their training protocol (ie, the resistance group improved their resistance runs). In the sprints on the straight track, however, the normal sprint group showed the greatest increase, followed by the overspeed group. Since this study was designed to be short-term, one can assume a neuromuscular adaptation in training ; the participants achieved greater efficiency in the running exercises. This may not apply to sport specificity, but if you want to do well on a one-off 40-meter test, then training at this speed for 6 weeks will surely be enough. However, this alone will probably not be enough to improve in the long term.

In the second study, the participants had to complete a combined uphill, flat and downhill run within one training session in order to improve resistance, speed and overspeed running. The results were then compared with the times for pure uphill, flat or downhill runs (without dragging or pulling). (8)

Practical tips for 40m sprints

Practical tips for 40 m sprint tests In theory, a 40 m test run can be done quickly and easily. However, experience shows that such a test cannot be taken everywhere. One of the main problems is the weather. There are only a few sports halls that have a straight run of 50 m (you need at least 10 m to run out). When running outdoors, the tread must remain dry on the one hand so that the foot can create a leverage effect and, on the other hand, it must be of consistent quality in all tests to ensure reliability. There is a risk of slipping and injury on athletics tracks on which bodies of water have formed.

Wind is also a factor, as tail wind, head wind or cross wind can influence the running times. If only a single test is carried out to determine who is the fastest on the team, the wind factor is not a big problem because the conditions are the same for everyone. However, if you want to use the data to determine what progress you are making over time, or to compare it to players from other parts of the country, then such facts are important.

40m sprint: timing, warming up, breaks and rest

Manual stopwatches or electronic light barriers can be used to measure time. If you stop the time manually, you should use up to 3 devices and take the average of the 3 results. (12) When using electronic light barriers, spare batteries should always be available because the batteries are quickly exhausted. Mark out the run with an exact tape measure and make sure that meters and yards are correct. I've already seen the two mixed up - which resulted in incredibly fast times!

Give the athletes enough time to warm up. First a general warm-up and then a specific warm-up for the speed exercises. Then each athlete has 3 attempts to run their best time. There should be a break between attempts to recover. Also important is the starting position and whether the athlete starts from a two-point or three-point position, on the line or 75 cm behind the 1st electronic barrier. The recorded times are different for each training protocol, but consistency is important - everyone must follow the same protocol. There is no evidence that athletes achieve faster 40m sprint times by running against other athletes instead of against time (or vice versa), so you can do what is best for you )

Precise training

The scientists designed and constructed a wooden platform that consisted of several different parts: a 20 m long straight, a 20 m incline with a 3% incline, an adjoining 10 m long straight, a 20 m long incline with a 3% incline and a 10 m straight lines as a run-out. The group with combined uphill / downhill training ran this distance of 80 m for 6 weeks 6 times on 3 days a week and took a 10-minute break between the sprints. The other groups ran the same total distance on the same platform, but in shorter sections. They ran 12 times 40 m and combined the straight route with either the uphill or downhill gradient.

After the 6-week training, the participants were subjected to a test over 35 m. The uphill / downhill group 1 was able to improve its top speed by 3.4%, while the downhill group improved less significantly with only 1%. The groups that had trained on the straight and on the incline could not improve significantly over the course of the 6 weeks of training.

The main difference between the downhill group and the group with a combined uphill / uphill run was that in the latter group the neuromuscular system of the athletes was first loaded, then relieved and finally supported. This loading and unloading within a training session could have made the difference. So it is worthwhile to test this once in training.

Your advantages of the 40 m sprint training

Regular sprint training leads to better sprint times, but can it also increase performance in other physiological areas? An efficient training method to reduce the contact times of sprinters and jumpers are plyometry exercises . A Croatian study compared a sprint training protocol with a plyometric exercise protocol over a period of 10 weeks and examined the effects on jumping, alternating jump, stretch jump from a squat and knee flexion, as well as the 20m sprint time and time in the 20m pendulum run. (9)

The jumping performance improved in both groups. The sprint group also improved their isometric squat strength, speed and agility. This study showed that sprinting can also be used as a training tool that can produce similar or even better effects than plyometrics exercises . The scientists also examined anthropometric features in the two groups. Their analysis found the only significant change was a 6.1% reduction in body fat in the sprint group. (10)

Example of a 40m sprint training program for soccer players

There are 4 focus areas: technique, strength, sprinting, plyometric training (the fitness training for more energy should be done as part of team training in the form of small-field games).

A - out of season

10 minutes of technical exercises as part of the warm-up exercises for team training

Strength (2 workouts per week)

Squats	4 sets of 3 reps at 90% 1RM	2 minute break between sets
Jumps from the crouching position	4 sets of 5 reps at 30% 1RM	2 minute break between sets

Plyometric exercises (2 workouts per week)

Two-legged jumps over 10 m	Increase up to 20 m
One-legged jumps over a distance of 10 m	Increase up to 20 m
One-legged jumps over 10 m at speed	Increase up to 20 m

Sprints (2 training units per week)

1. Training	Weekly alternation between resistance sprints with pulling a 10 kg weight or 40 m uphill with an incline of 3%. 4 resistance / uphill sprints, 3-minute break between repetitions, 4 sprints over 40 m on a straight stretch at maximum speed, 5-minute break between repetitions
2. Training	4 downhill sprints over 40 m with a gradient of 3%, 3 minutes break between the repetitions, 4 sprints over 40 m on a straight stretch at maximum speed, 5 minutes break between the repetitions

Example of a weekly plan for a football player who takes part in team training twice a week in the off-season; In addition, the player trains sprint, plyometry and strength twice a week

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1. Training	Break	Sprint 1	Plyo 1	Break	Plyo 2	Break	Force 2
2. Training	Break	Break	team	Force 1	team	Sprint 2	Break

B - during the season

Example of a weekly schedule for football training during the game season; only one unit of strength, plyometry and sprint training per week to avoid fatigue (as the players also play many games)

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1. Training	Break	sprint	Break	game	Break	Plyo	game
2. Training		force	team		team	Break

40m sprint: summary

Since only a few scientific studies are carried out on trained athletes, only guesses can be made with regard to the training protocols for trained athletes. However, it seems that as soon as you have a solid strength base and good movement mechanics when sprinting, working with different sprint speeds / exercises and subsequent normal running mechanics at top speed is much more effective than straight running exercises.

Untrained subjects can best increase their 40 m time in the short term (over approx. 6 weeks) by doing the sprint test and working on their running style. However, this only brings success once. Athletes who are tested regularly, however, need to build a solid base of strength while doing power exercises in the gym or plyometrics ( speed training and speed exercises ).

Time required for sprint exercises

Another note on the time required for sprint exercises. Since training time is very limited, most coaches do not like to see players idle for even 10 minutes during training. But if they are only allowed to do 6 maximum sprints over 40 m with a 10-minute break throughout the evening, that doesn't go down well with the players.

If you try this on a rainy January evening, you won't have any more success with it either! Twenty rounds with 40 m sprints and a “rest on the way back” keep the players on their toes and make them tired, but this will not lead to a better 40 m time either! With strengthening exercises for hip and leg muscles and power exercises in the fitness room, on the other hand, you achieve a double effect: an improvement in sprinting speed and also in overall condition , which is good for contact and collision sports.

Book tip from the editorial team

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References

1. JSCResearch 20, 3, pp. 500-505. 2006
2. JSCR 19, 2 pp. 326-331. 2005
3. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine 2, pp. 144-150 (2003)
4. Journal of Sports Science 20, pp. 981-990 2002.
5. JSCR 19, 4, pp. 893-897, 2005
6. JSCR 19,3, pp. 615-621. 2005
7. JSCR 20, 4 pp. 833-837, 2006.
8. JSCR 20, 3, pp. 767-777, 2006
9. JSCR 21, 2, pp. 543-549 2007
10. Kinesiology 37, 1, pp. 32-39, 2005
11. JSCR 17, 1, pp. 6-11 2003
12. JSCR 21, 2, pp. 385-388, 2007
13. Exercise and Sports Science review, 30, pp. 138-143, 2002.

Jargon

Potentiation effect after activation - repeated contractions of muscle groups result in a potentiation of strength due to chemical, neuromuscular and mechanical changes in the muscles13

Phosphocreatine system - generates ATP for a short-term exposure over a period of 2–7 seconds