4 February 2025
Athletic Performance Insider
WELCOMEđ
Stay current with all the new research by subscribing to the Athletic Performance Insider. Every Tuesday, you will get an email with easy-to-understand summaries of recent studies published, usually within the previous week. These studies are hand-picked from all the studies published during the week. Links are provided to the original papers for anyone wanting more information. This edition of the Athletic Performance Insider summarises studies that answer intriguing performance questions.
Can critical speed predict your race day fate? How is this related to âfalling behindâ, âletting goâ, or being âoutsprintedâ?
Optimising athletic performance: modifications and adaptations in repeated-sprint training.
Is invisible monitoring the future of athlete performance?
Are you giving your body the right recovery time?
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RESEARCHđ§
Can critical speed predict your race day fate? How is this related to âfalling behindâ, âletting goâ, or being âoutsprintedâ?
Foster, C., Barroso, R., Bok, D., Boullosa, D., Casado, A., Cortis, C., Fusco, A., Hanley, B., Skiba, P. & Koning, J. J. de. âFalling Behind,â âLetting Go,â and Being âOutsprintedâ as Distinct Features of Pacing in Distance Running. Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 19, 867â873 (2024).
This study investigates the relationship between critical speed and pacing strategies in 10,000-m distance running, focusing on when runners "fall behind," "let go," or are "outsprinted" during races. The study defined "falling behind" as when a runner's successive split times became progressively slower than the winner's pace. "Letting go" was identified as a large increase in time for distance compared to the winner, indicating a significant drop in pace. Being "outsprinted" refers to falling behind despite actively accelerating, occurring when a runner is with the leader, with 400 meters remaining, but cannot keep up during the final sprint.
The research question explores how critical speed influences these pacing behaviours and their impact on performance. Critical speed was defined as the speed at which a runner could sustain exercise without experiencing rapid fatigue. The study analysed 100-m split times from 35 athletes in the men's 10,000-m race at the 2008 Olympics. Researchers identified points where runners fell behind, let go, or were outsprinted compared to the winner's pace. Results showed three distinct groups: those who fell behind at approximately 1000, 6000, and 9000 meters, let go at 4000, 7000, and 9500 meters, or were outkicked.
A moderate correlation was found between critical speed and finishing position, mean pace, and the distances at which runners fell behind or let go. The study concludes that critical speed is a moderate predictor of performance and final placing, with DⲠbalance preservation being crucial for the final sprint. DⲠbalance refers to the reserve of anaerobic energy a runner can draw upon during a race. It represents the capacity to sustain efforts above critical speed before fatigue sets in. Practically, understanding these pacing patterns can help coaches and athletes optimise race strategies by managing energy reserves and timing accelerations effectively.
PRACTICAL đ¤
Optimising athletic performance: modifications and adaptations in repeated-sprint training.
Thurlow, F., McLaren, S. J., Townshend, A. & Weakley, J. The Application of Repeated-Sprint Training. Strength Cond. J. (2025).
This paper examines the benefits and applications of repeated-sprint training in enhancing athletic performance. Repeated-sprint training is a method that involves short, intense bursts of activity followed by brief recovery periods. The study highlights significant improvements in various physical attributes resulting from repeated-sprint training, including a 4% increase in VO2max, a 16% improvement in the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1, a 2% reduction in 20-metre sprint time, a 2% enhancement in average repeated sprint ability, a 3% increase in countermovement jump height, and a 2% decrease in change of direction time.
There are various protocols for repeated-sprint training. A typical protocol involves performing maximal-effort, short-duration sprints (up to 10 seconds) with brief recovery periods (up to 60 seconds). A common prescription includes 3 sets of 6 repetitions of 30-metre straight-line sprints, with 20 seconds of rest between each sprint and 4 minutes of rest between each set. This programme is usually conducted twice weekly over 6 weeks, resulting in a total session volume of 1,200 metres per week.
The practical applications of these findings suggest that repeated-sprint training can be effectively integrated into training regimes for athletes across various sports to enhance both aerobic and anaerobic performance. Coaches and trainers can utilise repeated-sprint training to boost speed, agility, and endurance. It is especially beneficial for sports that require quick bursts of speed and rapid recovery, such as football, rugby, and basketball. The efficiency of repeated-sprint training also makes it suitable for athletes with limited training time, enabling significant performance gains within constrained schedules.
INSIGHTS đĄ
Is invisible monitoring the future of athlete performance?
Leduc, C. & Weaving, D. Invisible Monitoring for Athlete Health and Performance: A Call for a Better Conceptualization and Practical Recommendations. Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 1â5 (2025)
This paper examines the "invisible monitoring" concept in elite sports to redefine its framework and address related challenges. Invisible monitoring refers to assessing athletes' performance and training status without direct intervention or their awareness, striving to minimise disruption and burden while maximising data collection through unobtrusive methods.
The research question focuses on how invisible monitoring can be effectively conceptualised and implemented while considering ethical and data management issues. The study reviews existing literature and proposes subdimensions such as monitoring burden and the number of constructs a measurement tool can assess. The "number of constructs a measurement tool can assess" refers to the ability of a single tool to capture multiple dimensions or aspects of the training performance process, such as training exposure and various training effects.
The paper highlights the benefits of minimising assessment interventions, which can increase the frequency of player observations and facilitate advanced statistical analyses. However, concerns about athletes' perceptions and ethical considerations are noted. The ethical issues associated with invisible monitoring include concerns about athletes' awareness and consent, the potential for accumulating unnecessary data that may not accurately reflect athletes' true conditions, and the lack of communication with athletes about how their data is used. These issues raise questions about privacy, transparency, and the potential for making ill-informed decisions regarding athletes' health and performance.
The study concludes that while invisible monitoring offers operational advantages by reducing the burden on players and staff, it requires careful consideration of data governance, validity, and communication with athletes.
Practical applications include enhancing athlete monitoring by integrating less obtrusive methods, which can improve decision-making in training and performance management. However, it emphasises the need for transparency and communication with athletes to ensure ethical practices and informed consent. This approach could lead to a more cooperative relationship between staff and athletes, optimising health and performance outcomes.
Are you giving your body the right recovery time?
Gabbett, T. J. & Oetter, E. From Tissue to System: What Constitutes an Appropriate Response to Loading? Sports Med.55, 17â35 (2025).
This paper explores the concept of optimal loading in exercise, aiming to promote positive tissue adaptation and improve performance in athletes while aiding rehabilitation. The objective is to understand what constitutes a normal response to loading across different tissues and systems, such as muscle, tendon, bone, and cartilage. The study highlights that recovery timelines vary significantly among tissues, with cartilage requiring as little as 30 minutes and muscles needing up to 72 hours or more after eccentric exercise-induced damage. Tendons benefit from a 48-hour refractory period after high stretch-shortening cycle activities, while bone cells lose mechanosensitivity quickly, suggesting a need for additional bone-centric exercises after a short rest.
The paper concludes that the response to the training load is complex and varies with the magnitude of the training dose. These findings can guide practitioners in designing training and rehabilitation programs that consider the specific recovery needs of different tissues, optimizing performance and reducing injury risk. By interpreting tissue stress within an athlete monitoring framework, practitioners can better contextualise load-response data and tailor interventions.
[The lead author, Tim Gabbett, was interviewed in the Athletic Performance Insider on 4 June 2024. Click here to see the interview]
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