Research
Mixed
Strength training for sprinters must be specific to the phase of the sprint: knee and ankle extensors are critical for acceleration, while hamstrings are critical for maximum speed.
Train your acceleration phase with exercises focusing on knee and ankle extension. Train your top speed phase with exercises focusing on hamstring strength and swing mechanics.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Together with the m. gluteus maximus, the knee extensors are at this moment the main accelerators... forward propulsion in full speed sprinting is mainly determined by the action of the hamstrings, the m. gluteus maximus and the m. adductor magnus.
Why this rating
Based on correlation studies and simulation models cited in the review.
Source
Influence of strength training on sprint running performance. Current findings and implications for training.
Christophe Delecluse · PubMed · 1997
DOI 10.2165/00007256-199724030-00001
narrative_reviewCited 311×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Sprint performance is a multidimensional skill comprising distinct acceleration, transition, and maximum speed phases, each requiring specific muscle activation patterns and strength training adaptations.Moderate
- Effective sprint strength training requires a combination of hypertrophy, neuronal activation, and speed-strength (plyometric) methods to prevent fiber type conversion and maintain contraction speed.Moderate
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