Sprint Training: Not quite the Fountain of Youth

It is only appropriate that THW advocates sprinting. Not only because it is the best exercise that over 40s are not doing. Rather, it is for historical reasons. The first event in the first Olympic Games in 776 bc was a 193 metre foot race inspired by none other than Heracles. The distance was chosen because it was widely believed this was how far the legendary figure could run on a single breath.

But back to the other reason why I am advocating sprinting as an exercise everyone should do as part of their weekly routine. Sprinting is simply one of the most effective ways to hold back ageing and helps keep us fit and healthy. The benefits of sprint training are quite astonishing and I’ll get to them soon. Before I do, I want to first dispel concerns that it is a risky exercise, older people are too frail, incapable, not built for sprinting. I’m 54 and I’m sprinting once every week and loving it. Sprinting is now something, by hook or by crook, I will do regularly. And, I am not alone.

A quick search on the internet will alert you to a host of people 60, 70, 80 and even 90+ competing as sprinters. British man Charles Eugster, for example, is a 96 year old sprinter who can run 100 metres in 23 secs. Bob Cousins is 80 and ran 100 metres in 14.92 secs. To go one better, Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins at 105 years of age was disappointed with her time of 1:02:95. Just 4 years earlier, she ran 39:62 setting a new world record for a women aged over 100.

I hope you get the point. Sprinting is not something you have to give up the day you stop playing school sports. One study in the US put the figure of people over the age of 30 who will never sprint again in their lifetime at 95%. I almost fell out of my chair when I read this number and had to continue researching to ensure it was not fake. I could not verify it, but anecdotally, it seems that most people over the age of 30 will not hit full speed again in their life. Maybe, that’s fine and why should any of us reach full speed anyway? It’s not as if we are still need to hit full pace to outrun a sabre-tooth tiger or a pack of hungry wild dogs like our distant ancestors did. So, if not necessary why do it? The answer is that humans are designed to sprint and because of this, sprinting confers a range of benefits that keep us fit and healthy for longer.

The Benefits of Sprinting

Sprint training is hard. A max effort sprint is akin to a 1rep max lift. But before explaining how to sprint train, I want to answer the why? There are lots of reasons. Here are my top 5 benefits:

1.        Sprinting is considered a weight-bearing exercise. Because of this, sprinting reduced a number of age-related issues especially decline in bone density, sarcopenia, loss of fast-twitch muscles and cognitive capacity such as memory and focus. Studies have shown that sprinting is more effective for reducing bone density than long distance running. Sprinting is not quite the fountain of youth, but it does a lot to slow down ageing.

2.        Sprinting is more effective for building better body composition than endurance running. The body’s adaptations that arise from sprinting are different to those for endurance athletes. Sprinters need more power and strength than endurance athletes. To get this power, the body builds stronger and faster muscles. To do this, the body releases human growth hormone which has huge benefits for all kinds of things including weight loss. Sprinting can increase natural production of human growth hormone by up to 200%.

3.        Sprinting improves heart health by increasing the capacity of the heart. Sprinters need to pump a lot blood around the body very quickly so running sprints strengthens the heart which leads to lower blood pressure and a lower resting heart rate.

4.        Sprinting improves exercise performance. This is one of the main reasons I started sprint training I wanted to become a better masters athlete. Principally, I wanted to reverse the decline of my fast-twitch muscle fibres and build more powerful hamstrings and glutes. I can say, without one scrap of doubt, that my hamstrings and glutes have benefitted from sprinting which has flow on for most of the exercises in the gym and out of it. I also feel my longer distance running has improved as a result of including regular sprint training into my program.

5.        It feels amazing. Running longer distances has huge psychological benefits. I still love going for longer runs. But the high from sprint training is pretty amazing. Like all exercise, sprinting releases endorphins and enhances mood. Sprinting, though, seems to take me another level. At the end of a sprint session, I’m sweaty, out of puff, sore and feeling almost invincible.

"Sprinting puts an enormous amount of stress on our physical systems, which — when done safely — makes us stronger, more resilient and more fit." New York Times, April, 2024.

Maybe, I’ve convinced you, maybe not. I will try and persuade all my clients of the benefits fo sprint training. But if I have, a word of caution- get some excellent advice from a qualified trainer or coach before you start sprinting. Sprinting, like a lot of high intensity, power-based exercises come with some level of injury risk. Hamstring injuries are not uncommon. However, starting off slow, doing regular mobility and resistance exercises to strengthen the hamstrings, glutes, calves and quads, and following a well-designed program will minimise the risk of an injury. The risks of injury should not put you off because the benefits really outweigh the risks. They really do.

I hope you get sprinting soon. If you do, do it properly and I am certain that like me you’ll feel the amazing benefits that accrue from sprinting and as you do you’ll feel more Herculean as well. Until next time.