DOCUMENT RESUME ED 099 344 SP 008 649 AUTHOR Dintinan, George B. TITLE What Research Tells the CoachAbout Sprinting., INSTITUTION American Alliance for Health,Physical Education, and Recreation, Washington, D.C. NationalAssociation for Sport and Physical Education. PUB DATE 74 NOTE 92p. AVAILABLE FROM American Alliance for haalth,Physical Education, and Recreation, 1201 16th Street, Washington, D.C. 20036 (No price quoted) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.75 BC Not Available fromEDRS. PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS Athletes; Athletic Coaches;*Athletics; Motion; Physical Characteristics; *Physiology;Research; *Training IDENTIFIERS *Sprinting ABSTRACT This booklet on sprintingis divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 "Introduction,"provides an analysis of the 100-aeter dash, summarizes worldrecords, and discusses the reliability of timing the sprintrace. Chapter 2, "Describing the Sprinter," discusses the followingtopics: anatomical characteristics, flexibility,reaction, strength/power, racial comparisons, circulatorycharacteristics, age and sprinting,body composition, hereditary influences,specificity of speed, sprinting mechanics, and stride lengthand frequency. Chapter 3,"Physiological Factors Affecting Speed and ItsDevelopment," examines speed improvement occurring throughphysiological changes in muscleand Joint tissue, circulation,and the nervous system resultingfrom coaaonly used supplementaryprograms (any program other than sprint training). The final chapter,"Training the Sprinter," analyzes important research in miscellaneousareas that directly affects sprinting speed, supplementarytraining programs, and the critical area of sprint training programs, which includessprint-resisted and sprint-assisted training. Lists ofreferences and selected reading conclude each chapter. (JA) S DEPARTMENT Of HEALTH. EDUCATION A WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTEOF EDUCATION WHAT THIS 00CuMENT HAS BEENREPRO OuCE 0 EXACT, Y AS RECEIVED ROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATiON ORIGIN TING IT'0.140S 01 via.* OR OPINIONS RESEARCH !.TA TED DO NOT C SIARILY RENO SENT OF c I'IAt NATIONALINSTITUTE W TELLS THE LDUCAT.ON PU.H ION OR POLICY COACH ABOUT PERMISSION TOREPRODUCE THIS Prepared by COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL FICHE QNLY I A CV MICRO. EEN G TED RV GeorgeB. Dintimen Virginia Commonwealth University ERIC AND RGANI:AT Richmond NO UNDER AGREEMENTSIONS OPERA, TIONAL INSTITUTE WITH THE NA FURTHER REPRODUCTIONOF EDUCATION THE ERIC SYSTEM OUTSIDE REQUIRES Permis SION or THE COPYIOW T OWNER' Sponsored by The National Association for Sport andPhysical Education of AAHPER Cosponsored by NAIA Track Coaches Association National Coaches Council National Council of Secondary School AthleticDirectors United States Track Coaches Association AMERICAN ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH, PHYSICALEDUCATION, AND RECREATION 1201 Sixteenth St., N W. Washington, D.C. 20036 2 WHAT RESEARCH TELLS THE COACH SERIES John M. Cooper, Editor Indiana University, Bloomington Roswell D. Merrick, Associate Editor AAHPERConsultant for Sport and Physical Education What Research Tells the Coach About Wrestling What Research Tells the Coach About Swimming What Research Tells the Coach About Distance Running What Research Tells the Coach About Baseball What Research Tells the Coach About Football %wetpublications Copyright 01974 by the AMERICAN ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AND RECREATION A national affiliate of the National Education Association Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 74-19588 3 CONTENTS Foreword I/ Preface vii 1 Introduction 1 2 Describing the Sprinter 7 3 Physiological Factors Affecting Speedand its Development 30 4 Training the Sprinter 49 4 FOREWORD This is the sixth in a series of booklets titled "What ResearchTells the Coach" about a particular sport, and is a project of the NationalAssociation for Sport and Physical Education of Me American Alliance for Health,Physical Education, and Recreation. Thepurpose of these booklets is to make available to coaches pertinent research findings with interpretations forpractical application and to compilea list of research references abouta specific sport. Authors selected for this serieg havenot only a sound research backgroundbut also the practical experiencein a given sport which qualifiesthem to select those research studies that have significancefor coaches and competitors. The author of this booklet, GeorgeB. Dintiman, chairman and professorof physical education, Virginia CommonwealthUniversity, has also publisheda book titled Sprinting Speed: ItsImprovement for Major SportsComwition. He has been a track competitor andcoach at the secondary and collegelevels. We are fortunate to have secured his services for thisbook. Dr. Dintiman has donean outstanding job in reporting what the coachshould know, what the researcher hasdiscovered and what is known andnot known about the area of sprinting. Sometechnical language is used but themodern track and field coach has become knowledgeable about upto-dateresearch tools and techniques so that hecan understand and utilize findings fromnumerous research studies. John M. Cooper Assistant Dean and Director of Graduate Studies Indiana University, Bloomington 5 PREFACE There is no single greaterconcern of coaches and athletes in all sportsthan "how to run faster." There is alsono question more frequently left unanswered. Considerable inconsistency exists inthe training of modern daysprinters. An air of secrecy surrounds the training methods used by coaches of severalforeign countries. The sudden dethroning ofAmerican sprint supremacy by the Russians in the 1972 Olympic Games hassome experts concerned aboutour present training methods. It istrue that many of our programs in thepast have been less than scientific: more aerobic than anaerobic, more haphazard thananalytical, more mass oriented than personalized andmore superficial than comprehensive. Yet, it is difficult toargue with success since it is a fact that the U.S. has produced the world's best sprinters formany years. Obviously, many individuals have been involved in participation insome very excellent training regimes. This booklet has been prepared forall coaches and sprintersas a means of evaluating current sprint trainingprograms in light of scientific facts discovered through the review ofmore than 250 studies. In severalareas, where gaps were evident, the author attemptedto investigate certain aspectsas a means of uncovering critical data and thenmaking recommendations for consideration future researchers. Information in this booklet is applicableto racing distances only up to 200 meters; energy expenditure and trainingapproaches are quite different for runners competing in distances of 400meters or more. It is hoped that the contents of the treatise will be helpfulto both coach and athlete in elevating performance levels. vii 1. INTRODUCTION Analysis of 100-meter Dash Henry and Trafton (4) identifya theoretical velocity curve of sprint running as a two-component form: primarily acceleration and velocity.They conclude that 90% acceleration is achieved at ISyd and 95% at 22 yd. Although the curve is helpful, it fails to consider a 100-m dash and sprintingin its entirety. There are other considerations suchas deceleration which critically affect the race. Terauds (8), through a cinematographical analysisof college men, found that maximum speedwas reached by all individuals at distances of 20-50 yd, maximum velocity was held overa distance from 40-70 yd and deceleration commenced at 70.110 yd. Amean deceleration rate of 5.4% of maximum velocity was noted over the 100-yddistance. Acceleration, maintaining maximumvelocity, and decelerationvary among individuals. Sttperior sprinters willreach maximum speed later inthe race, hold maximum speed for a longer distance andslow down (decelerate) less thanthe average or less conditioned sprinter. It is alsosafe to assume that thereare variations among champion sprinters withperhaps a multi-causation schemein operation (anaerobic capacity, explosivepower, strength, reaction time, intrinsic speed of muscular contraction andneurological control of muscularcontrac- tien). Table 1 indicates the factors involvedin a 100-rn dash and theirapproximate point of entry for championsprinters. Reaction to the stimulus (KT)is impor- tant in providing a quick muscular movement forward while in contact withthe blocks. hxplosivepower or forceful push-off both combine withRT for what may be the key phase of the racethe first 2.3 m. Accelerationto maximum 7 WHAT RESEARCH TELLS THE COACH AIRAIT SPRINTING TABLE I. DISTANCI: OF ENTRY FOR FACTORS AI:VECTING 100MkTER DASH 1.ACTOR 1) 10 20 30 41)50 607(1 80 90100Major Role Rede1110110 (4111 I0.10 see Response to Gun Vxplosive Power o.s sec. Block Clearance (Departure from blocks) Accelerating P"'" 11111111111111111111.1 Reaching Max. Speed Stride Length/Rate INN Maximus') Speed Ana ('opacity Holding maximum. minimirm xloxLILLp ve!oeity occurs at different rates among champion sprinters with top speed generally attained at or slightly before the 60-in mark (5).Stride length and rate now become the limiting factors for the next 15-20 in and determine the maxi- mum speed (mph) one can attain.Anaerobic rapacitycontrols the degree of slowing that occurs in the final portion of the race. Unfortunately. a sprinter moves at maximum speed for only a short distance of 15-20-m before quick energy stores (ACP-CP lactate system) are depleted and slowing occurs (1). Contrary to the opinion of some sprinters, everyone decelerates ina 100-m dash. Any apparent surge of speed at the finish tape or in the final meters of