High-Speed Treadmill Training

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Here's some more fuel for the fire:

Singh, M., D. Irwin, and E.P. Gutoski. Effect of high speed treadmill

and sprint training on stride length and rate. In: Biomechanics of

Sports and Kinanthropometry, ed. F. Landry, and W.A.R. Orban; Miami, Fl:

Symposia Specialists Inc. 1978.

Twenty-four male subjects selected with minimum VO2max 54.92mL/kg/min.

Ranked by sprint time and divided into Track training, treadmill

training, and control groups.

Track group performed seven weeks of training consisteing of 1/2 mile

jog, 5 minutes calisthenics, slow stretching, and 2-3 sprint

accelerations for warm-up followed by seven all out training sprints

(2x60 yards, 1x80, 1x100, 1x80, 1x60) five days a week.

Treadmill group performed similar WU on treadmill followed by 7 all out

sprints consisting of rapid acceleration to subjects maximum running

speed (determined from pre-100m test). Each sprint was stopped when the

subject could not maintain maximum running speed.

Injury record. Control: 3; Track; 10, Treadmill: 32. Primary complaint

of track group was stiff quadriceps. Primary complaints of treadmill

were tight hamstrings, tight calves, sore knees, and sore ankles.

Stride length increased pre-post during 1-6, 7-12, 13-18, 19-24, 25-30,

31-36, and 37-42 stride segments in track group only (statistical

significance not given). Stride length increased pre-post during 7-12,

and 13-18 stride segments in treadmill group. No changes pre-post for

stride rate.

Non-statistically significant decreases in 100m sprint time were seen.

Treadmill: -0.32s; Track: -0.18s; Control: 0.13s. Pre- and post- times

were not given.

Loren Chiu

Graduate Assistant

Exercise Biochemistry Laboratory

Human Performance Laboratories

The University of Memphis