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Aim. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of resisted (RS) and un-resisted (US) sprint training programs on acceleration and maximum speed performance.
Methods. Twenty-two male students (age 20.1±1.9 y, height 1.78±7 cm, and weight 73±2 kg) completed RS (n=11) or US (n=11) sprint training programs. The RS group followed a sprint-training program with 5 kg sled pulling and the US group followed a similar sprint-training program without sled pulling. The training program consisted of 4×20 m and 4×50 m maximal runs, and was applied 3 tunes/week for 8 weeks. Before and after the training programs the subjects performed a 50 m run and the running velocity of 0-10 m, 10-20 m, 20-40 m and 40-50 m was measured. In addition, stride length and stride frequency were evaluated at the 3rd stride in acceleration phase and between 42-47 m in maximum speed phase.
Results. The RS improved running velocity in the run sections 0-10 m and 0-20 m, while in US group the running velocity in all run sections in acceleration phase remained unchanged (p>0.05). In contrast, RS training had no effect on running velocity in maximum speed phase, whereas US improved running velocity in 20-40 m, 40-50 m, and 20-50 m run sections (p<0.05). Stride rate increased only after RS in acceleration phase (+7.1±2.9%; p<0.05), whereas stride length increased only after US in maximum speed phase (+5.5±2.5%; p<0.05).
Conclusion. Sprint training with 5 kg sled pulling for 8 weeks improves acceleration performance (0-20), while un-resisted sprint training improves performance in maximum speed phase (20-40) in non-elite athletes. It appears that each phase of sprint run demands a specific training approach.
KEY WORDS: Acceleration - Kinematics - Performance - Resistance - Sprint.
Running velocity is important for many sports. Therefore, many coaches include sprint-training regimens as part of physical conditioning of athletes. In sprinting, acceleration and maximum speed are determinants of sprint running performance.1-3 Traditionally, coaches use brief unresisted/free runs of maximum effort as a training stimulus to improve sprint performance. Sports scientists however agree now that sprint performance can be also improved by means of strength training.4 It has been suggested that improvements in sprint running performance are directly related to movement and velocity specificity 5-7 and that strength...