Sprinters vs endurance athletes: Two different animals

With regard to interval training for middle distance running I have already stated that a deviation from the incremental system outlined by Frank Horwill may be required. My reasoning for this is because, if we are training to become more efficient at a specifc running velocity, it would make sense to gradually increase the volume of training performed at this training intensity.

The incremental training system would be likely to result in the opposite occurring. This is because the total volume of the training sessions remain largely unchanged with his progressions. Yet the workouts become increasingly demanding, and so will be performed less frequently as greater time periods are required to recover between workouts.

Such a phenomenon is often seen with sprinters. The performance level of a sprinter is often inversely related to the frequency with which they can perform high intensity training sessions. A high intensity sprint training session would involve running speeds anywhere between 95% and 100% of maximum velocity. Lower level sprinters are simply not able to run fast enough to significantly tax their nervous system. Such athletes could get away with performing sprint sessions at 95-100% of maximum speed everyday, since they would be carrying over very little fatigue from the previous sessions. In contrast, it will usually take an elite sprinter around 48 hours for the nervous system to recover from intense speed and strength training sesions.

So why would we be encouraging demanding training sessions that necessitate less frequent exposure for elite sprinters whilst discouraging the equivalent sessions for middle distance runners?

Whilst they are equivalent workouts in as much as they both involve training at speeds that are as close to race pace as possible, they achieve their effects through differing means.

Maximum speed is developed by increasing force production during the ground contact phase. In order to increase such force production capabilites, high threshold motor units must be activated during training. This cannot be achieved with submaximal running speeds.

In contrast, the level of force production required to run at a specific running velocity remains the same. We may even be able to slightly reduce the level of force production required by improving the efficiency of the running technique at this particular running speed. However, in order to achieve such changes it is necessary to increase the level of exposure to this running speed. Increasing the level of fatigue associated with such training sessions, by increasing the work: rest ratio, will serve to reduce the frequency with which they can be performed and thus reduce the overall exposure to the stimulus. This would appear to be counterproductive.

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