Strength Training for Sprinting Speed & Performance

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Miller et al. (2021). The Muscle Morphology of Elite Sprint Running. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 53 (4), 804-815.

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3 groups compared:

5 elite sprinters (100m <10.25 s) w/ competitive sprint training and resistance training.

26 sub-elite sprinters (100m 10.35-11.50 s) w/ competitive sprint training and resistance training.

11 control participants (no more than moderate, unstructured weekly physical activity).

Body composition, muscular size, and muscular strength were compared between groups and compared with sprinting performance.

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>All sprinters were substantially stronger than the physically active but untrained control group. They were most notably stronger in the muscles that control the hips and knees.

>Elite sprinters had the greatest muscle mass amongst all three groups.

>Perhaps counterintuitively, elite sprinters are significantly heavier than sub-elite sprinters due to their added muscle mass.

>Elite sprinters have substantially greater muscle volumes in 4 compartments of the legs. This greater muscularity specifically pertains to hip extensors, hip flexors, knee extensors, and knee flexors.

>Hip extensor size (e.g., glutes) was responsible for 47.5% of the increased performance.

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Take-home:

If you’re an athlete that wants to be fast, sprint-specific strength training is a must.

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