You see studies have abstracts, when information is not available publicly you do not post full studies, hence why all the details are not available. If you would like to you could buy the study if you are that interested.
It was not handtimed and where do you see they improved by .05?
How would you perform such a study, since you do not take a liking to it?
In the normal situation, where the usual strength building methods, such as weight training and plyos, are used, a light sled can help improve acceleration, primarily via neural activation, as the difference in strength building action would not be large.
Ok… and I dont know how I would conduct it.
The above link has 27 pages about it. Just to let everyone know.
I just found the answer to one of my questions, they were recreational athletes both the US (unresisted) and RS (resisted athletes).
Ill post some answers as I go so we can all understand what we are reading.
Not interested in purchasing it, but thanks
Edit: Link is 27 pages, but not all those focus on this one inparticular study.
The study group is relevant in this case because the lower the level, the weaker the athletes are relatively and the more stressful the sled is vs non-loaded- as would be the case with a heavier sled with relatively higher performers, lowering the results of the sled group- the very argument we started with.
Improvement in the 0-10m segment? I’ll take it!
So if a sled is of no use like Dr. Sprint and lkh say, is an isorobic also useless? If so why are there numerous threads about it and why are the sled and the isorobic referenced in Charlie’s training literature?
Ah don’t put words in the guys mouth. I was making fun of Boyle for saying if he could only do one exercise it would be sleds.
Personally though, I wouldn’t break the sled out while training athletes. And if I was going to use resistance, which to me is a last resort, I might go with the isorber, or weight vest, under Charlie’s and only Charlie’s recommendations. Why, because he’s smarter than the Guy.
Either way what are you going to do bring a sled to practice. Its not practical for someone like me currently training unattached and alone. Plus I dont need help in the first ten of the race or whatever it supposedly does. I’d rather do starts, fallings starts, ballistic squats. Stuff that I know already works, instead of trying to experiment with stuff that might not even be effective.
I’m with Ikh and Dr Sprint on this one.
There are so many aspects to sprint training today that adding something of genuine value to the program needs to be properly evaluated in terms of its success rate.
I work with part time athletes who train each week night after work, study etc. I would basically have to substitute a part of my program to introduce sled work. Despite the part time commitment, these guys take their sport very seriously and are in superb physical condition.
Most of the studies clearly indicate there is no major improvement to performance; merely minor or negligible improvements. Certainly not enough to have me rushing off to purchase or manufacture one.
I have real issues with the mechanics of towing or pushing a sled with seriously fit athletes. I can’t see the value from a speed/acceleration aspect, only the s&c…and we don’t need another s&c exercise.
I know of coaches who use sleds and their athletes either don’t seem to be improving or have failed to reproduce the form they had “pre sled”.
Therefore I won’t be sucked into using a sled by the ramblings of an S&C trainer.
I personally like the sledge. I’ve used it with great success. Runs done over 10-30m from a 3-point start using a weight that doesn’t mess with form or mechanics of the start.
I have also had great success with a sled. We had no access to hills for myself or the junior runners. It was not used with a heavy weight by any means, usually 5 kgs. It helped them learn a good body lean and drive mechanics. It shouldnt be used all year but early in the gpp, when all general stimulus is low, why not teach them proper mechanics before letting them fly. If they cant get into a nice sprint position with a proper drive, how are you helping them be better sprinters. For more advanced it might be less useful but for myself and others it worked great.
i think sled work should be use year round, heavy dosages during gpp and low dosages during the other phases - for example 2-4 reps per speed workout, maybe something like this during indoor season.
Indoor season:
Mon:
5x30 sled
5x30 blocks
throws 20x
Thursday:
2x30 sled
2x30 blocks
2x100 standing
hurdle hops 20x
Wouldn’t you distance resistance work from races?
A coach colleague had his top male sprinter use a sled up to the week of the nationals and against all expectations this athlete won the men’s 100 title against a strong headwind.
The coach reasoned the sled slowed his athlete sufficiently for the guy to get a better “feel” of applying force to the track while still moving at speed.
He towed the sled out to at least 60m, memory is deficient, but I think he may have taken it to 80m sometimes.
He only weighed less than 70kg and beat some big boys through lovely touch off the floor and good mechanics. Then again he never ran better than 10.4 auto (that against the headwind). But on that day, he was the goods. I was sad he quit the sport, his coach also, after he missed selection for the 1990 Com Games. Didn’t even make the 4x100 relay but he had lost some form by then, so I can see why he wasn’t picked. In any case this very creative coach went on to become a respected scientist and computer components inventor and the sprinter became a lawyer.
So, what I get from your story KitKat is that I need to quit my job as a coach so that I can become a financial success. How true! 
:eek: 
TwoMan, did you use sled much? Did you use it in competition phases or anywhere close to the nationals?
Imo sled does not compare to hills.
We have traditionally used the sled for preparatory phases. A lighter sled allows us to attain a good acceleration posture at a lower intensity that full out accelerations (much like Charlie when he prescribes hill work). We can also focus on arm carriage and leg drive at slightly lower intensities.
Having said that, your story still intrigues me. In some sense, revisiting sled work throughout the season might be useful, as long as the volume and weight were kept in check.
What do others think?
I was trying to work out who twoman was…
number2, i think.
In the 1952 movie, Sailor Beware, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis are in a very funny comedy scene in which Lewis (in boxing shorts and gear) is in the change rooms prior to a boxing match where he’s up against against some big navy brute. Dean Martin has the bright idea to psych out the opponent and asks Lewis who his toughest fight was with. Lewis states “my toughest fight was Gene Tierney” (an actress). Martin corrects Lewis, saying, “Wait a minute! Don’t you mean Gene Tunney?” (a boxing champ at the time)
Lewis then quips, “You fight who you want and I’ll fight who I want!”
I’m comfortable not to use a sled and I’ve briefly offered why I don’t use one. It is interesting to read bona fide Track coaches discuss its use in their programs. I would never knock or criticise a coach that does use a sled. Good luck to them.
We practice proper sprint technique often, but in the natural state, unencumbered.
Leading into a major race with a proper 10 or 14 day taper, I 've had athletes improve substantially, just resting and doing very little. It’s proven over time and I’m loathe to ‘experiment’ with it.
Some of us would prefer to fight Gene Tierney, while others - Gene Tunney…
Maybe this has already been touched on in another thread but could someone kindly point out the differences between using:
A. Sled work
B. Hills
C. Weight Vest