Fact check: Can Speed Drill Training Help Improve Your Sprint Performance? 

Speed drill training refers to any speed training programme that uses specific drills to improve your speed and overall endurance.

Usually, speed drills are used by individuals who train for long-distance races, such as marathons. It focuses on enabling the individual to improve their speed and sprint performance. Let's understand how these drills work.

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How does speed drill training affect sprint performance?

Speed drills have helped athletes and fitness enthusiasts improve their sprint performance. The combination of various movements allows athletes to take their performance up a notch.

Additionally, speed drills do not require an exorbitant amount of time to be effective. That means reducing the overall time spent in training. In fact, training for six weeks can have a difference in sprint performance as opposed to weight training for the same period for muscles.

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Things to keep in mind during speed drill training

If you decide to do speed drills to improve your sprint performance, you must be aware of the following points:

Always warm up

Speed drills are taxing for the quads and hamstrings. If you start the drills without warming up, you could end up with muscle pulls, or injure your joints such as hips or knees.

Have proper form

Speed drill training doesn’t only focus on how fast you can go, but also on how you move. You shouldn’t break your posture regardless of what movement you do.

If required, slow down for a while to catch a breath, but poor posture can result in injuries. Some of the ways you can keep your form are:

1. Do not bend forward from your waist.
2. Keep your focus connected till the end of the course.
3. Push through from your heels and not your toes.
4. Avoid any form that twists your head.
5. Relax your shoulders, and keep a forward momentum.

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Cool down

If you’re doing speed drills, it means your heart rate will increase massively. If you don't cool down, you’re putting your heart health at risk, as there’s a sudden drop in heart rate. This sudden drop can result in adding stress to your heart. Therefore, it’s ideal to cool down after speed drill training for optimum cardiovascular health.

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Benefits of doing speed drill training

As mentioned earlier, speed drills focus on performance as well as posture. However, apart from improving muscle endurance, the drills come with additional benefits such as:

Speed drills reduce risk to injury

Speed drills help in improving the range of motion for muscles. They help in training the bigger and smaller muscles of a group, leading to better muscle balance. That helps in reducing the risk of injury to the muscles when you use them for other workout routines.

Improves agility

Speed drills help in improving your footwork by making you quicker and improving your reflexes. As a result, you’ll be able to make sharp turns and also hop or dodge better.

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Bigger strides

Speed drills help in improving your stride, resulting in being able to cover more ground. The more speed drills you do, the more your tendons along with other connected tissues stretch.

Additionally, muscle strength improves as well. When the two combine, you’re able to stretch your legs during sprints as well as push yourself off the ground better when you land.