The incidence of hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) increases during maximal sprint speed (MSS), such as in track races, soccer, and rugby ( Ruddy et al., 2018 ). During the late swing phase (from maximal hip flexion to ground contact) in the MSS, the length and strain of the hamstring muscle
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Effects of Static Hamstring Stretching on Maximal Sprint Speed and Relationship With Nordic Hamstring Strength
Yusuke Ozaki and Takeshi Ueda
Is Recovery Optimized by Using a Cycle Ergometer Between Ski-Mountaineering Sprints?
Bastien Krumm, Frédéric Luisier, Arnaud Rapillard, and Raphael Faiss
Officially included in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, the sprint format is one of the 5 race formats currently in practice for competitions by the International Ski-Mountaineering Federation (ISMF). 1 Defined by the ISMF competition rules as short uphills and downhills, sprint races
Short-Term Training Effects of Vertically and Horizontally Oriented Exercises on Neuromuscular Performance in Professional Soccer Players
Asier Los Arcos, Javier Yanci, Jurdan Mendiguchia, Juan J. Salinero, Matt Brughelli, and Carlo Castagna
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 2 strength and conditioning programs involving either purely vertically oriented or combining vertically and horizontally oriented exercises on soccer-relevant performance variables (ie, acceleration, jumping ability, peak power, and endurance).
Methods:
Twenty-two professional male soccer players were randomly assigned to 2 training groups: vertical strength (VS, n = 11) and vertical and horizontal strength (VHS, n = 11). Players trained 2 times per week during all the preseason (5 wk) and 3 weeks of the competitive season. The effect of the training protocols was assessed using doubleand single-leg vertical countermovement jumps (CMJ), half-squat peak power (PP), sprint performance over 5 and 15 m, and blood lactate concentration at selected running speeds.
Results:
Both groups obtained significant improvements in PP (P < .05; ES = 0.87 and 0.80 for VS and VHS, respectively) and small practical improvements in 5-m- (P < .05; ES = 0.27 and 0.25 for VS and VHS, respectively) and 15-m-sprint time (P < .05; ES = 0.19 and 0.24 for VS and VHS, respectively). The CMJ performance showed a small improvement (P < .05, ES = 0.34) only in the VHS group. Submaximal aerobic-fitness changes were similar in both groups (P < .05; ES = 1.89 and 0 .71 for VS and VHS, respectively).
Conclusion:
This study provided a small amount of practical evidence for the consideration of preseason training protocols that combine exercises for vertical- and horizontal-axis strength development in professional male soccer players. Further studies using more aggressive training protocols involving horizontally oriented conditioning exercises are warranted.
Caffeine Does Not Alter Performance, Perceptual Responses, and Oxidative Stress After Short Sprint Interval Training
Mauro F. Bernardo, Alysson Enes, Elisangela F. Rezende, Alexandre R. Okuyama, Ragami C. Alves, Murilo de Andrade, Ana Carolina G. Macedo, Marcelo Paes de Barros, Darren G. Candow, Scott C. Forbes, and Tácito P. Souza-Junior
that CAF supplementation can enhance some aspects of interval training exercise ( Lee et al., 2012 ; Paton et al., 2015 ; Schneiker et al., 2006 ; Woolf et al., 2008 ). For example, some lines of research demonstrate that CAF supplementation improved sprint performance, mainly by enhancing peak and
Hypoxia Does Not Change Performance and Psychophysiological Responses During Repeated Cycling Sprints to Exhaustion With Short Exercise-to-Rest Ratio
Antoine Raberin, Sarah J. Willis, Thomas Richard, Joakim Elmer, Gianluca Vernillo, F. Marcello Iaia, Olivier Girard, Davide Malatesta, and Grégoire P. Millet
Repeated-sprint exercise (RSE) performed in hypoxia (RSH) enhances performance to a greater extent than RSE in normoxia. 1 However, it has been previously argued that RSH efficiency depends on the oxidative-glycolytic balance. 2 Therefore, RSH efficiency may rely on parameters known to influence
The Effects of Anaerobic Swim Ergometer Training on Sprint Performance in Adolescent Swimmers
Adam J. Pinos, David J. Bentley, and Heather M. Logan-Sprenger
Competitive swimming is a unique sport comprising a variety of strokes (freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke, and backstroke) and different distances (50–1500 m), each with contrasting physiological demands and biomechanical characteristics. 1 It has been demonstrated that sprint swimming (<100 m
Factors Affecting Cyclists’ Chances of Success in Match-Sprint Tournaments
Kathryn E. Phillips and Will G. Hopkins
interactions between the cyclists, are not well understood. In track cycling, match-sprint tournaments consist of a preliminary qualification time trial followed by rounds of head-to-head racing, with the winners of each race proceeding through knockout rounds to reach the final. The qualification time trial
Initial Maximum Push-Rim Propulsion and Sprint Performance in Elite Men’s Wheelchair Basketball
Aitor Iturricastillo, Jordi Sanchez-Grau, Gerard Carmona, Adrián García-Fresneda, and Javier Yanci
oneself in front of the opponent, thus gaining an advantage during the game, stands out. 4 Strength and sprint capacity could thus be determining factors in WB performance. 5 These 2 capacities in WB players have been assessed through different variables by laboratory tests (ie, isokinetic strength
Concurrent Validity and Reliability of Sprinting Force–Velocity Profile Assessed With GPS Devices in Elite Athletes
Pauline Clavel, Cedric Leduc, Jean-Benoît Morin, Cameron Owen, Pierre Samozino, Alexis Peeters, Martin Buchheit, and Mathieu Lacome
To assess the sprint force–velocity (F–v) profile, practitioners need to set standardized protocols and record special temporal or running speed–time data using specific devices such as radar. 1 While radar is considered as a reference measure to assess speed, 1 not all high-level clubs have
Why Are Masters Sprinters Slower Than Their Younger Counterparts? Physiological, Biomechanical, and Motor Control Related Implications for Training Program Design
Craig Pickering, Dylan Hicks, and John Kiely
motivation of many Masters athletes to improve and progress ( Young, 2013 ). It is well-established that elite sprint performance—as quantified by race time—decreases with age ( Aguiar et al., 2020 ; Arampatzis, Degens, Baltzopoulos, & Rittweger, 2011 ; Korhonen, Haverinen, & Degens, 2014 ) and that this
