Abstract
The ability to produce force rapidly has the potential to directly influence sprinting performance through changes in stride length and stride frequency. This ability is commonly referred to as the rate of force development (RFD). For this reason, many elite sprinters follow a combined program consisting of resistance training and sprint training. The purpose of this study was to investigate the strength, endocrine and body composition adaptations that occur during distinct phases of a block periodized training cycle in a 400 m Olympic level sprinter. The athlete is an elite level 400 m male sprinter (age 31 years, body mass: 74 kg, years of training: 15 and Personal Best (PB): 45.65 s). This athlete completed four distinct training phases of a block periodized training program (16 weeks) with five testing sessions consisting of testosterone:cortisol (T/C) profiles, body composition, vertical jump, and maximum strength testing. Large fluctuations in T/C were found following high volume training and the taper. Minor changes in body mass were observed with an abrupt decrease following the taper which coincided with a small increase in fat mass percentage. Jump height (5.7%), concentric impulse (9.4%), eccentric impulse (3.4%) and power ratio (18.7%) all increased substantially from T1 to T5. Relative strength increased 6.04% from T1 to T5. Lastly, our results demonstrate the effectiveness of a competitive taper in increasing physiological markers for performance as well as dynamic performance variables. Block periodization training was effective in raising the physical capabilities of an Olympic level 400 m runner which have been shown to directly transfer to sprinting performance.
Highlights
The 400 m sprint is a speed endurance event that demands a high level of anaerobic metabolism, buffering capacity and aerobic processes to maintain maximum velocity [1,2,3,4]. stride frequency and stride length have been shown to influence sprinting speed, stride length seems to be the more important biomechanical parameter when distinguishing between levels of performance in 400 m races [5]
Stride frequency and stride length have been shown to influence sprinting speed, stride length seems to be the more important biomechanical parameter when distinguishing between levels of performance in 400 m races [5]
The need to generate high forces in a small amount of time underscores the importance of qualities such as rate of force development (RFD) and power in developing sprinting speed [9]
Summary
The 400 m sprint is a speed endurance event that demands a high level of anaerobic metabolism, buffering capacity and aerobic processes to maintain maximum velocity [1,2,3,4]. stride frequency and stride length have been shown to influence sprinting speed, stride length seems to be the more important biomechanical parameter when distinguishing between levels of performance in 400 m races [5]. The block model depends upon several levels of programming variation, including the use of heavy and light days, in which intensity and or volume may be increased or decreased through programmatic means such as sets, reps and relative intensities This type of loading paradigm has the potential to enhance the recovery and adaptation processes, leading to a superior performance [11,12,13,14,22]. The combination of resistance training in a block periodized manner and track and field specific training resulted in a more efficient and efficacious improvement of maximal strength, rate of force development (RFD) and superior fatigue management in comparison to other forms of training These studies [12,13] are characterized by a high degree of ecological validity and lend support to a combined approach in training, but more research is warranted within elite track and field settings including 400 m runners. Despite a growing evidence base for the value of a block periodized approach to training [15,16,17,18,23,24] there is a need for understanding whether/how elite athletes apply these strategies operate within the real-world annual training/competition calendar
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