The Physiology of Sprint Training (Part 2)

Hosts:Coach Donald: Coach Donald, M.Ed Exercise Science, Owner of Global Human PerformanceCoach Tim: MBA, CPT, PES, FNSSummary:Coach Donald and Coach Tim continue their discussion on the physiology of sprint training, and chat about what it means to run “fast” while exploring key concepts such as the metabolic demands of sprinting and the core aspects of speed training.Key Discussion Points:Coaching Moments:Coach Donald shares a story from Trackside, and Coach Tim chats about a recent in-gym onboarding session with a new youth athlete.Deep Dive:1) How to move the needle in sprint performance2) The foundation of sprint performance is a function of stride rate, stride length and endurance3) An exploration of the relationship of effort and fitness as it relates to speed expression4) The metrics and metabolic demands of sprinting5) The core aspects of speed training are acceleration, max velocity and speed endurance6) Managing load and volume7) A discussion on speed endurance8) Coaching and training considerationsWebinar Pitch, Outro & FeedbackNoteworthy Moments/Quotes:2:39 - The coaches share their most recent Coaching Moments.4:54 - Coach Donald and Coach Tim discuss what getting “faster” means in the context of running versus field sports, and rail against the fallacy of “more” again.9:27 - How do you move the needle in sprint performance? The coaches take a deep dive into the foundational components, the physiological mechanisms and the practical application of sprint training.10:05 - Coach Donald discusses the basic components of speed: stride rate, stride length and endurance.13:50 - The coaches talk about the differences between competing at all distances, and what max velocity or “full speed” means in a training and racing context.15:57 - Coach Donald explores the relationship between speed expression and the corresponding effort level, as well as the metabolic demands for power vs. speed.19:05 - The coaches talk about how an athlete can improve the most important metrics of speed and sprint performance, like stride rate, stride length, ground contact time and posture.22:03 - Coach Donald takes a deep dive into the metabolic demands of sprinting.24:38 - Coach Donald and Coach Tim go on a “6-7” tangent.29:24 - Coach Donald discusses how an athlete can improve their tolerance for sprinting, which includes skipping, drilling, lifting and running.30:32 - What are the core aspects of training for speed, and how do plyometrics, hill sprints and resisted running help?37:53 - Coach Donald talks about load management and proper volume with sprint training.39:01 - Fitness in the form of tempo running, speed endurance training and special endurance.43:25 - Coach Donald recaps the episode and shares some final thoughts on coaching and training considerations.Resources Mentioned:Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/Website: https://ghperformance.com/Actionable Takeaways:Sprint training is much more nuanced than just running “fast.”Speed is a function of stride rate, stride length and endurance, and all of those are trainable qualities.Quality training includes managing the metabolic demands of sprinting and balancing the ratio of tempo runs, speed endurance sessions and special endurance workouts or races.Support the podcast by downloading Coach Donald’s Strength Training for Runners webinar!Next Episode Teaser:In Season 2: Episode 5, Coach Donald and Coach Tim make the case for single-leg power training.