Factors Affecting Speed and Training Principles

Factors Influencing Speed

Muscle Factors

Provision of bony plates, fiber layout types. The fibers are fast-twitch white and slow-twitch red. The percentage distribution of the fibers depends on:

• Type of muscle
• Age (older individuals often have a higher percentage of red fibers)
• Gender (women often have fewer white fibers)
• Degree of training
• Genetic constitution: Higher or lower muscle viscosity or tone. Greater or lesser muscle elongation capacity. Greater or lesser muscle mass.

Nervous Factors

Intramuscular coordination. Speed of nerve impulse transmission from excitation to inhibition centers or vice versa.

Training Factors

These include:

• Strength and Power

  The increase in strength or power for muscle contraction is responsible for the increased acceleration of motor gestures.

• Alactic Capacity

  When speed needs to be extended, alactic capacity facilitates the extension of the work.

• Flexibility, Elasticity, and Technical Improvements

  Improvements in technical and motor coordination. The acquisition of a rational and effective movement technique facilitates rapid execution of motor tasks by shortening levers and adopting a correct position of the center of gravity with an efficient use of energy. This promotes relaxation of antagonistic muscles, facilitates switching between excitation and inhibition, and improves inter- and intramuscular coordination (frequency of movements), as well as the intensity and frequency of nerve impulses.

Speed Training Principles

When addressing speed training, we must consider:

1. The intensity of exercise should be chosen so as to reach very high levels, essential for the development of speed.
2. The duration of exercise should be chosen so that performance does not decrease because of the onset of fatigue.
3. Since optimal recovery breaks are needed, the cumulative effect of training leads to fatigue relatively soon. Therefore, the volume of exercise should be limited to 5 to 10 repetitions per training unit. Speed must not be developed in a state of fatigue.
4. The optimum distance is determined by the scope of the training. If the goal is to promote acceleration capacity, choose a distance corresponding to the performance level of speed in this area (about 30-45m). If the goal is to work on full speed, which is achieved between 20 and 45 meters, you may need to run a longer or shorter distance after a flying start.
5. All speed training should be done in an optimal state of warm-up.