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If you are following any fitness "experts" on social media, you might find that many of them are sprinting as part of their exercise routine. But is sprinting actually good for you? Short answer: yes, probably. Here's the long answer...
Systems that benefit from sprinting:
Muscular System: Sprinting primarily targets your fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for short bursts of power.
Cardiovascular System: Your heart rate will increase significantly while sprinting, which will strengthen your heart and improve overall cardiovascular health. Sprinting can also help to lower your resting heart rate and lower your blood pressure.
Respiratory System: Your breathing rate increases significantly during a sprint as your body tries to take in more oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. This leads to improvements in VO2max, which is the amount of oxygen you can use during exercise. This is one of the best indicators of aerobic endurance and cardiovascular fitness. The more oxygen a person can use during intense exercise, the more powerful the output is.
Nervous System: Sprinting requires a high degree of coordination between your nervous system and your muscles. The nervous system sends signals to your muscles telling them to contract, and the muscles respond by generating force. With sprinting training, the communication between your nervous system and muscles becomes more efficient, allowing you to sprint faster and more efficiently.
Endocrine System: Sprinting can help improve insulin sensitivity. The better your insulin sensitivity, the less insulin you need to lower their blood sugar levels. Poor/lower insulin sensitivity can lead to insulin resistance, which can lead to developing type 2 diabetes.
How is this different than any other form of exercise?
The main benefit from a sprint workout is the time piece. While you are working very hard, it's just for a short amount of time. Plus the above benefits can be achieved with a fairly short duration workout - 5-10 minute warm up, 10 minutes of work, and a 5-10 minute cool down.
So there are benefits...what's the workout?
Most research is on this protocol: 6 x 30 second sprints with a 4 minute rest between sprints. 3 times a week. Should be a very hard, almost maximal (like 19/20).
But there are still lots of positive benefits from less rounds, and shorter sprint time:
4-6 x 10-15 second sprints, 3 times per week had similar improvements in VO2 max vs the traditional 6 x 30 sec.
2 x 20 second sprints, 3 times per week also had improvements in VO2 max and insulin sensitivity.
But...I don't want to run!
Good news - while many of us think of sprinting as a running thing, you can also sprint on the bike, the rower, the elliptical, etc. Move as fast as you can for 10-30 seconds, give yourself a rest, repeat, and do that a few times a week. Then reap the benefits!
What are the draw backs?
When working at such a high intensity (even for such a short time) you run the risk of sustaining an injury. Of course, you run the risk of injury in any situation with any type of exercise. The key is the more experience you have with something, the lower your risk for injury gets. Best way to not get hurt sprinting? Practice sprinting! Ease into it - don't go for the 100m world record on day one. If you haven't moved your body fast in a while, give it some time to adapt.
What should I do if I don't want to get hurt, or if I do get hurt?
Seek some professional help! Here at MTS we can help you get stronger and ready to sprint for the first time in a while, and we can also help you out if you do get hurt.
References:
About the author: Dr. Caitlyn Hauswirth-Varis, PT, DPT, OCS, CFMT, CF-L1
Caitlyn is a board certified orthopedic physical therapist and a pelvic health expert. As an avid exerciser herself, she likes to know the "why" behind what she's doing. Beyond her PT degree and accolades, she is a Pregnancy and Postpartum Exercise Specialist, a CrossFit coach, a pole vault coach, and a running coach.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare professional for personalized guidance.
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