Kinematics of Resistance Sprint Training

In the last article titled Effects of Sled Towing on Sprint Starts, the results are suggesting 20% weight on sleds instead of 10%.

This research paper was written by Grant Hajder and Tom Wu from the Sport Science Innovation Program, Department of Movement Arts, Health Promotion,  and Leisure Studies, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA USA

This has been accepted to will be presented at this year’s World Congress of Biomechanics in July 2014.

Kinematics  of Resistance Sprint Training

by Grant Hajder and Tom Wu 

INTRODUCTION

An athlete’s sprint time is commonly used to determine the athlete’s athleticism. With the competitive nature of sports comes the need to produce faster athletes. Restrictive sprinting is one technique used to obtain this goal. According to Cronin et al. (2006), restrictive sprinting involves any form or condition that overloads the sprinters’ natural mechanics or muscular system. The agility sled is a piece of apparatus used by many athletic trainers and facilities to help aid in enhancing runners’ explosive characteristics and overall speed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the kinematics of sprint mechanics with different sprint training conditions.

SUMMARY

The study concludes that the hip flexion joint angle is increased when driving a sled (Driven) compared to the towing a sled (Harnessed) and the un-resisted sprint (Natural). This preliminary finding is valuable to coaches and trainers who incorporate sled pushing and towing based on the principle of sport specificity in their sprint training program. Further research is warranted to examine the effects of various heights of the drive bar on sprint mechanics.

Click here for that paper