What It Really Takes to Develop Speed in Athletes: A Science-Based Approach
What It Really Takes to Develop Speed in Athletes: A Science-Based Approach
Speed is one of the most revered attributes in sport. This is why the 40 yard dash is still one of the most popular events at professional sporting combines in the U.S. Whether you're a wide receiver trying to create separation, a defender closing ground, or a forward breaking away on a counterattack, linear sprinting speed is often the difference between a big play and a missed opportunity. Sprint speed is the ultimate equalizer OR great separator. In my 15 years as a performance coach, I can’t think of a single athlete who didn’t benefit tremendously from sprint training, regardless of your sport.
Yet despite its importance, speed remains one of the most misunderstood and poorly trained qualities in athletic development. For years, athletes and coaches alike have treated speed as a "gift" — something you're either born with or you're not.
But the science tells a different story.
Sprinting Is a Skill: Biomechanical Foundations
At its core, sprinting is a complex motor skill involving finely tuned coordination between multiple joints, muscles, and timing patterns. While many athletes believe they’re "just running," elite sprinting involves precision and economy that can be learned and improved over time.
Breaking Down the Phases of Sprinting
Sprint performance is typically segmented into three major phases:
Acceleration (0–10m) – The athlete pushes horizontally and leans forward; powerful hip extension and horizontal force dominate.
Transition (10–30m) – The athlete gradually rises into a more upright posture; stride length and frequency increase. Drive to rise mentality.
Max Velocity (30m+) – The athlete is fully upright; minimal ground contact time and maximal elastic energy return from muscle-tendon units.
Each phase requires specific mechanical qualities and technical proficiencies. Elite sprinters exhibit:
Shorter ground contact times
Greater horizontal force application
Higher stride frequencies and front-side mechanics
Better stiffness and posture control
According to Weyand et al. (2000), the fastest sprinters produce greater ground reaction forces in less time — not by moving their legs faster but by applying more force into the ground efficiently.
How to Coach Sprint Mechanics
While top speed is partly genetic, the mechanics behind it are coachable. High-level speed training includes:
Drills: Wall drills, Marching Patterns, Skipping patterns, bounding, arm action, resisted sprinting, overspeed drills, transition drills.
Cues: “Punch the ground,” “knee drive,” “project out not up” “Push the ground away”
Feedback: Sprint video analysis (slo-mo), timing gates
Environment: Controlled sprint surfaces, progression from low to high intensity. Proper footwear, Outdoor vs. Indoor Environments.
The motor learning principle of "external focus of attention" suggests that athletes learn movement patterns more effectively when given outcome-based cues, rather than internal anatomical ones (Wulf & Lewthwaite, 2016). An example of this would be to tell an athlete to push as hard as possible off the ground (external cue) versus extend the hip (internal cue).
Strength and Power: Not Just How Much — But Where and How
Strength is often called the "mother quality” and for good reason. Research shows strong correlations between lower body strength and sprint acceleration (Comfort et al., 2014). However, it's not just about squatting more — it’s about applying that force in the right direction.
Horizontal vs Vertical Force
Morin et al. (2011) highlighted that horizontal force application is a better predictor of sprint acceleration than vertical force. Athletes who can direct more of their force horizontally during early steps accelerate faster — even if their max squat numbers are the same.
This concept has led to new models of force-velocity profiling, which identify whether an athlete is force-deficient (needs more strength) or velocity-deficient (needs more sprint-specific exposure).
Morin, J. B., Edouard, P., & Samozino, P. (2011).
Lifting That Transfers to Sprinting
Max strength (e.g., Squat variations, Deadlift variations, pressing variations): Best for force output, increased neural response)
Dynamic strength (e.g., Plyometrics, Olympic variations, Accommodating resistance (speed-strength)): Builds rate of force development
Horizontal resistance (e.g., Loaded Sprinting (push and towing), hill sprints): Trains sprint-specific projection
The stronger the athlete, the more “raw material” they have to apply technical improvements. But specificity matters: strength work must complement sprint goals.
Max Velocity Sprinting: The Hidden Key to Injury Prevention
In most team sports, athletes rarely reach true max velocity. So, is it worth training?
Absolutely.
Why Max Velocity Still Matters
Enhances hamstring strength at high speeds (Mendiguchia et al., 2016)
Improves hip extension velocity and stiffness
Strengthens neuromuscular coordination across gait cycle
Increases fascicle length in key muscles, reducing strain injury risk
Even small doses of top-speed sprinting (1–2 times per week) significantly reduce hamstring injury incidence when added to team sport programs.
Max Velocity Training Examples
Flying sprints (10m build-in, 10–20m sprint zone)
Ins-and-outs (gradual build-up with alternating sprint zones)
Sprint-float-sprint (used to target technique and re-acceleration)
Overspeed training (carefully applied for advanced athletes)
This kind of sprinting is neurologically intense and must be done fresh. That brings us to the next point…
Sprinting Fast Requires Being Fresh
Sprint performance is highly dependent on neuromuscular readiness. Fatigue — even mild — negatively affects stride length, stiffness, coordination, and ground contact forces (Girard et al., 2011).
Best Practices for Sprint Training
Sprint first in the session, after a dynamic warm-up
Keep volume low and intensity high (e.g., 4–6 sprints of 10–40m)
Rest 2–3 minutes between reps, 4–5 minutes between sets
No “running through fatigue” — quality always over quantity
Monitoring Fatigue
Use RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) post-sprint
Track velocity drop-offs with timing gates
Use HRV or subjective wellness scores to adjust workload
Programming Sprint Training with Intention
There’s no one-size-fits-all sprint program. Sprint prescription should consider the sport, position, training age, time of year, and weekly workload.
Programming Sprint Types
Sprint Type
Sprint Type Purpose Best For
Acceleration Drive, projection, first step All field/court athletes
Max velocity Elasticity, posture, stiffness Athletes w/ hamstring issues, neuromuscular coordination
Resisted sprints Force application, projection Strength-speed emphasis
Assisted sprints Over-speed coordination Advanced track/skill athletes
Integrating Sprinting With Lifting and Practice
High/low model: Sprint and heavy lifting on same days; recovery or mobility on others
Contrast training: Sprints paired with plyos or resisted movements
In-season: Reduce volume but maintain intensity (e.g., 1–2 high-speed exposures weekly)
Real-World Examples: Sprint Week for Team Sport Athlete
High School WR (Offseason)
M: Accel + heavy lift
W: Max velocity + plyos
F: Resisted sprints + total-body lift
College DB (Preseason)
T: Flying 10s, float-sprint-float
Th: Sled sprints + short accels
Pro Guard (In-season)
2 short sessions/week with 2–3 high-quality reps only
Maintain neural output and prevent deceleration injuries
Conclusion
Speed is not just a gift — it’s a skill. When properly trained, even average athletes can become fast, and fast athletes can become elite.
Sprint development is multifactorial: it takes technique, strength, motor control, proper rest, and a system that respects the demands of neural output.
If you're an athlete looking to get faster, or a coach wanting to improve how you teach speed — let’s connect.
References
Clark, K. P., & Weyand, P. G. (2014). Are running speeds maximized with simple-spring stance mechanics? Journal of Applied Physiology, 117(6), 604–615. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00174.2014
Comfort, P., Stewart, A., Bloom, L., & Clarkson, B. (2014). Relationships between strength, sprint, and jump performance in well-trained youth soccer players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(1), 173–177. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e318291b8c7
Girard, O., Mendez-Villanueva, A., & Bishop, D. (2011). Repeated-sprint ability – Part I: Factors contributing to fatigue. Sports Medicine, 41(8), 673–694. https://doi.org/10.2165/11590550-000000000-00000
Haugen, T. A., & Buchheit, M. (2016). Sprint running performance monitoring: Methodological and practical considerations. Sports Medicine, 46(5), 641–656. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0446-0
Mann, J. B., Ivey, P. A., & Brechue, W. F. (2014). Relationship between maximal power output and sprint acceleration in collegiate football players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(10), 2709–2713. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000000486
Mendiguchia, J., Martinez-Ruiz, E., Edouard, P., et al. (2016). Sprinting: A potential risk factor for hamstring injuries in football? Journal of Sports Sciences, 34(18), 1721–1729. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2016.1142661
Morin, J. B., Edouard, P., & Samozino, P. (2011). Technical ability of force application as a determinant factor of sprint performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43(9), 1680–1688. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318216ea37
Spinks, C. D., Murphy, A. J., Spinks, W. L., & Lockie, R. G. (2007). Effects of resisted sprint training on sprint kinematics and economy in moderately trained males. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 21(2), 710–717. https://doi.org/10.1519/R-20365.1
Weyand, P. G., Sternlight, D. B., Bellizzi, M. J., & Wright, S. (2000). Faster top running speeds are achieved with greater ground forces not more rapid leg movements. Journal of Applied Physiology, 89(5), 1991–1999. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.2000.89.5.1991
Haugen, T. A., & Buchheit, M. (2016). Sprint running performance monitoring: Methodological and practical considerations. Sports Medicine, 46(5), 641–656. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0446-0