Ever wonder how we find these research articles to review? I’ll share the secret right now, just in case you ever want to go on your own research scavenger hunt.
First, I go to a trusted source in Google Scholar.
Second, I type in a main keyword or phrase. In the case of this review, I searched “sprint speed”
Third, I click on the filter ‘since 2020’ on the left column…simply because I want more current research that took place post-COVID. Not that old research is bad, I just think there were a lot of technological advancements made when people were in quarantine and/or had a surplus of ‘alone time’ to let their big brains do some thinking.
And there it is…that’s the 3 step process.
This article covers the validity between projecting sprint speeds using 5 meter and 10 meter timing systems…I’m pretty stoked on it, so let’s just dive right in.
For those who may be new to our research reviews, here’s how they break down…
Part 1: What we know.
This is going to explain what the research was looking to study, how they studied it, and why you should care.
Part 2: Any comments or concerns about what the study is showing?
Sometimes the best research study looks so good on paper, but then when you dive in you see that it was done on olympic athletes, or was sponsored by a specific company, or something else that can throw a major red flag on its effectiveness in practical use. Alas, that is what we are for here at Parisi HQ
Part 3: How can I use this?
This part is going to explain practical applications of the research. Typically research is lab based and can be hard to replicate when you’re a Performance Coach on a budget. I’m going to do my best to break down how you can actually apply this research to you coaching
Here’s the article of note, in citation format for you grammar nerds out there…it’s hyperlinked to the text in case you want to dive in yourself.
Part 1: What we know.
Nineteen amateur rugby players performed two 30-m sprints. More importantly, the timing gates collecting data were placed at the starting line and at 5-, 10-, 20-, 25- and 30-meter markers.
As the athletes ran through each marker, they were tracked with a radar gun for instant measurements, and then their speed was computed by taking their total time over distance traveled (using the split markers).
What was cool about this study is that researchers were trying to find a distance that aligned with the actual velocity achieved during the full 30 meter sprint. I don’t know about you, but I am often limited on space, especially when working with larger groups or team sports. To be able to know a reliable distance that can carry over to a maximum speed-length sprint is greatly beneficial.
The conclusion showed that maximum sprint speed obtained from the 5m gate, 10m gate, and radar gun presented good short-term reliability. However, practitioners should be aware that substantial differences exist between the 10m gate and the radar gun findings over multiple efforts. For the assessment of maximum sprint speed it is recommended the use of a 5 meter gate measurement for more accurate estimations when you can’t run longer maximum effort sprint distances.
Part 2: Any comments or concerns about what the study is showing?
The only glaring issue with this would be the reliability of pointing a radar gun at an athlete and calling it ‘accurate’…just like the usage of a timing gate system can present a host of accuracy issues.
Battery change, anyone?
Those are two tech-induced concerns about the study, but I really feel that it was a pretty straight forward research attempt to see what distances carried over to actual maximum velocity. It isn’t surprising to me that a longer distance eventually fizzled out – repeat sprints at longer distances will yield more fatigue, thus affecting the relationship with true maximum speed- but showing the validity of a 5 meter gate measurement is pretty impactful for a Performance Coach who might only have limited space/distances available.
Part 3: How can I use this?
The biggest impact to the Performance Coach would be to include a 5 meter sprint in your assessment data. Knowing that this distance can accurately project maximum speed velocities is an awesome tool to collect data for an athlete and can also be a great resource for when you have to train groups/teams in a small space.