Resisted Speed Training with Parachute improved Speed in the Acceleration Phase! (Patreon)

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Introduction:

- Running velocity (RV) is a key factor in the success of most sports as it is the fastest athletes who win the race or any opponent.

- The two factors to affect running velocity are stride length and frequency.

- RV improvement is achieved when either factor is increased with no decrease in the other factor, or when both factors improve.

- Good performance in a run require to start fast as well as achieve and maintain as high a speed as possible, and is divided into secondary phases: acceleration phase, maximum speed achievement, maintenance phase and deceleration phase.

- The maximum gain with regard to RV is achieved if the training programme is such that induces neuromuscular adaptations.

- The nervous system is stimulated by means of maximum-intensity short-duration training stimuli. The best known training method for RV improvement is repetitive sprint training.

- Although this method has a positive ef- fect on RV, according to Tabachnik and Ozolin, athletes come to a point where they can achieve no further improvement, also known as the “speed barrier” phenomenon. To break the speed barrier, new stimuli are required.

- Athletic researchers believe that except for the repetitive training method, good results in RV improvement are achieved by means of strength training.

- The means utilised in sprint training with pull against resistance are sled and parachute sprinting.

- The parachute method was invented by Tabachnik, according to whom it is ideal for improvement throughout all speed phases (start, acceleration, maximum speed) and also that its use helps bypass the speed barrier.

- The parachute method helps ensure that resistance increases with running velocity without any technique alteration.

- The parachute is also indicated for all sports characterised by multiple changes of direction of motion.

- Other advantages of the parachute: it is easy to carry and the athlete can release the device anytime during practice, thus combining resisted and un-resisted sprint training.

Training Programme:

- The resisted sprint training method was adopted. To achieve resistance, a parachute was used (Power ChuteTM). The rate of applied resistance should be such that no alteration of the running technique would be observed. Any running velocity decrease >10% compared to un-resisted running indicates that the applied resistance load is too high and will have adverse effects on the sprinting technique. A large size parachute was used, as the medium size parachute didn’t cause any significant resistance.

- Resistance in RG group was applied by means of a large sized parachute. The training programme had duration of four weeks.

- The daily schedule (training group) included four repetitions of maximum intensity 30m & 50m dashes (4 × 30m, 4 × 50m).

- The duration of recovery time between the 30 m & 50 m runs was 4 and 6 minutes respectively. Between the last 30m dash and the first 50m dash, a 10-minute recovery was applied.

- With regard to the frequency and volume of the intervention programme, sprint - speed training is characterised by maximum intensity stimuli to be repeated 2-4 times a week.

- Moreover, sprint - speed training should not exceed 400-500 metres in total.

- To this end, the training programme of the present study consisted of 4x30m and 4x50m runs, at a frequency of 3 times a week. (Total volume = 120 m + 200 m = 320 m).

- The duration of the recovery time was 4 and 6 minutes for the 30 m and 50 m runs respectively, and 10 minutes between each set. 4-minutes of recovery time is adequate for the body to reach full recovery.

- A recovery time longer than 12 minutes between repetitions in total results in inactivation of the central nervous system.

Results:

- Sprint speed training with parachute improved performance in run sections 0-10m, 10-20m and 0-20m runs respectively, and improved mean speed in run sections 0-10m, 10-20m and 0 - 20 m, while a stride length (SL) increase was also observed.

- Sprint training with parachute improved performance and Umean in run sec- tions 40 - 50 m, and also increased maximum instant speed (Uinstant) between 40-46m. With regard to sprint stride kinematics, an increase in stride frequency (SF) and decrease in total duration of sprint stride (SPD) was observed which is attributed to decreased flight time (FT), as support time (ST) remained unchanged.

- Sprint training with parachute improved performance in run section 50m, and U mean in the same run section.

- The results of ANCOVA analysis showed that after the values were ad- justed, performance improvement was higher with resisted training (parachute) 0-20m compared to un-resisted training. The same result was observed with Umean in 0-20 m.

Discussion:

- Resisted speed training with parachute improved speed in the acceleration phase. Running velocity improvement in 0-20m run is attributed to the improvement of speed in 0-10m run and 10-20m run. Sprint-speed training with pull against resistance results in RV improvement by increasing stride length.

- This is based on the fact that resistance helps increase the power output of the hip and knee joint muscle groups which furthers increases thrust and stride length, a prerequisite to improve speed in the acceleration phase.

- The SL increase confirms the study assumption that resisted sprint training with parachute modifies sprint stride kinematics.

- LeBlanc and Gervais have studied kinematic changes observed when using a parachute during maximum intensity sprint running, and have demonstrated that the kinematics of resisted running with parachute is similar to unresisted running in the acceleration phase.

- Resisted sprint training with parachute improved running velocity more than un-resisted sprint training in the 0-20m run section. As reported in the literature, training with pull against resistance has better results on speed in the acceleration phase, compared to un-resisted sprint training.

- An improvement was also observed in 40-50m run section and maximum speed between 40-46m, thus confirming that resisted sprint training (parachute) improves RV in the maximum speed phase.

- The results of the study agree with the view that opts for a parachute in training, as the parachute is also suitable to increase RV in maximum speed phase.

- Resisted sprint training (parachute) yielded a sprint stride duration de- crease, due to flight time decrease, while support time remained unchanged. The decrease in the duration of sprint stride helped increase stride frequency (SF) (from 4.17 ± 0.36 stride/sec to 4.36 ± 0.25 stride/sec), given that stride length (SL) remained unchanged.

- These findings agree with studies according to which further velocity improvement in higher speed is achieved when SF increases, while SL remains unchanged.

- In fact, sprint stride kinematics were analysed between 40-46m where the observed instant velocities ranged within 8.94 ± 0.59 sec. The FT decrease and SF increase confirm the study assumption that resisted sprint training with parachute modifies sprint stride kinematics.

- If the same training programme is followed constantly, the athletes reach a plateau (speed barrier), thus no further velocity improvement is achieved. The method of repetitive training (un-resisted) is usually applied to sprinters. Therefore, the lack of velocity improvement may be due to the fact that the same training method was also implemented in the intervention programme.

- The group that followed the parachute training programme improved velocity by 3.5% in the 40-50m run, while the un-resisted training group presented a minor velocity increase of 0.7%.

- All 8 participants of the 'parachute group' improved their velocity in the run section 40-50m (100%), while an increase was observed only in 4 out of 8 (50%) subjects in the un-resisted group.

- The comparative results indicated that sprint training with parachute resulted in a significantly higher RV between 40-46m, compared to un-resisted sprint training in the maximum instant speed phase between 40-46m.

- It is evident that resisted sprint training (parachute) brings better results in terms of RV improvement compared to un-resisted sprint training.

- Resisted sprint training with parachute improved RV in all run sections of 50m, while no improvement was observed in the un-resisted group. The improvement seen in all run sections of 50 m in the resisted (para- chute) group is attributed to the improvement in the acceleration phase and maximum speed phase.

- All 8 participants of the “parachute group” improved their performance in the run section 50 m (100%), while only 6 out of 8 subjects improved their performance (75%) in the un-resisted group.

Conclusion:

- Resisted sprint training with large size parachute improved velocity in the acceleration phase and maximum speed phase in sprinters, while un-resisted training resulted in no significant improvement.

- Compared to other means of pull against resistance used to improve ve- locity in the acceleration phase, the parachute appears to be a suitable train- ing method for velocity increase in the maximum speed phase.

- When sprint speed training with parachute is included in a training programme, which is designed to improve sprint technique, it can improve both stride length and stride frequency.

- Finally, compared to other means of pull against resistance, the parachute may also be employed in sports characterised by multiple changes of direc- tion of motion where speed is a key parameter.

Reference:

- Martinopoulou, K., et al., 2011. The Effects of Resisted Training Using Parachute on Sprint Performance. Journal Biology of Exercise.