I was wondering if the short interval training (100m) that mid/long athletes sometimes use may be useful for sprinters in GPP or other phase. In the first 10 seconds or less of a fast run, the majority of oxygen is supplied by myoglobin. When myoglobin is fully oxygenated the mitochondrial enzymes become the limiting factor in oxidative energy systems and are therefore more likely to be increased under these conditions. Mid/long athletes sometimes perform 100m sessions at 90% pace with sufficient recovery for myoglobin replenishment and lactic clearance between reps, and keep going for 1-2 hours. The next step would be longer intervals (around 500m) to increase capillary density and cardiac output.
Would these 100m interval sessions be useful for 200/400 sprint training? A session could be shorter than for the mid/long distance athletes eg. 20 x 100m at 90% pace with 1-2 minutes rest inbetween depending on conditioning.
Do sprinters even need this kind of training ie. due to the high intense reps we do anyway, are our oxidative energy systems (in the fibres that contain them) optimised anyway?
Always separate the work into high and low intensities. 90% of best time is intermediate speed. Don’t loose site of the objective- which is manifested by Speed, Speed End, and Special End work.
Charlie, wouldn’t a 300 session be classed as intermediate itensity?
Physiologically, why should we not train at intermediate intensity?
We’ve covered the reasons for avoiding intermediate speeds on the old site and in Speed Trap and CFTS (too fast to recover from quickly and too slow to be specific to competition speeds). 300s can be any intensity from fast to slow. It’s just a matter of the time relative to your PB in that particular distance (and on that particular surface).
Thanks Charlie, I’m beginning to understand more now. I was just confused since I was thinking that with short fast intervals, lactic would not build up as easily, and the aerobic pathways of the muscle could be worked effectively (I know a faster pace would be necessary for sufficient development of the anaerobic pathways). I am thinking of 200/400. Now I feel that 300-500s maybe sufficient on their own. Due to the fact that we sprint fast all year round anyway, maybe our oxidative pathways we have are always optimised (from myoglobin), it is just conversion of certain fibres (from longer work), and increased capillarisation that may be needed.
