Specialist Certification Program
The Sprint, Hurdle, & Relay
Events
Physical Performance
Components for the Sprints
and Hurdles
Strength Related Components

Absolute Strength. Absolute strength is the ability to produce great force in a static or dynamic
sense. Speed of movement is not a concern in absolute strength situations. Absolute strength
qualities determine greatly one’s ability to hold postural alignment under stress and impact, the
ability to anchor the fulcrums of the musculoskeletal lever systems used in movement, and are
an inherent and contributing part of all other strength qualities needed in movement. In the
sprint/hurdle events, because of the body types typically associated with high performance,
absolute strength is best evaluated in the form of relative strength capabilities (force produced
per unit of bodyweight). Most absolute strength training activities involve high resistances and
low speeds of movement.

General Strength. General strength is the ability to overcome the internal resistance of and
manage the displacement of one’s own body and body parts. Since body control is implied,
general strength is a functional component of all coordination related abilities, and an important
part of relative strength capabilities. General strength training activities involve no external
resistance, using bodyweight as the sole load.

Power. Power is the ability to produce force quickly. In situations requiring power, resistance
must be overcome, and high speed of movement is also of great concern. Power seems to be a
linking component between absolute strength and speed qualities, and most training systems
treat it as such. In track and field athletics, where time available for force application is so often
extremely short, the need for high power production capabilities becomes obvious. Power
training activities combine resistance and high speeds of movement.

Reactive Strength. Reactive Strength is the ability to produce force using the stretch shortening
cycle. This production of elastic energy is essential to efficient and high level performance in all
speed and power oriented events, and training programs must prioritize development of this
quality. Most reactive strength training involves plyometric or multijump exercises. All skeletal
muscle and nearly all training components possess the potential for elastic energy production
and reactive strength development.

Strength Endurance. Strength Endurance is the ability to sustain force production. Strength
endurance is a concern in stabilizing and postural muscle groups, which must be able to
maintain alignment and functionality throughout the course of the event. For this reason,
strength endurance training in athletics is directed toward muscle groups and postural
musculature responsible for these stabilizing functions and is highly specific in nature. Strength
endurance activities can take many forms, but all require either repetitive movement or
extended stabilization.
Speed Related Components

Accelerative Power. Accelerative power is the ability to effectively move the body from rest
and quickly approach maximal velocities. Inertia must be overcome in these situations, thus
resistance exists. Therefore, accelerative power is related to one’s power capabilities.
Acceleration should not be confused with absolute speed, and acceleration training activities
involve moving the body from rest to high speeds.

Absolute Speed. Absolute Speed is the maximal locomotive velocity attainable. In most
situations we are concerned with the rate of movement of the body as a system, but the speed
of individual body parts is an important component of absolute speed. This quality should not
be confused with acceleration, and absolute speed training activities involve attaining and
maintaining maximal velocities for short periods of time.

Speed Endurance. Speed Endurance is the ability to maintain absolute speed and resist the
inherent degradation of absolute speed that occurs in performance. Once the body reaches its
maximal velocity, deceleration inevitably occurs within a few seconds. Speed endurance refers
to the ability to resist this deceleration. This deceleration is associated with the buildup of
certain byproducts or muscle contraction, but of more concern to us as a cause is a loss of
coordinative ability. The inability to coordinate high speed movements for extended periods of
time is essentially a form of nervous system fatigue, so speed endurance should be considered
as a specific type of coordination training. Speed endurance training activities involve
maintaining maximal velocities for extended periods of time.

Hurdle Specific Speed Components. When training hurdles the development of hurdle specific
speed related qualities is essential. This work consists of high intensity, race specific work over
hurdles. It may be classified and organized in the same way as sprint training, using hurdle
acceleration, hurdle speed development, and hurdle speed (rhythm) endurance as comparable
and corresponding categories.
Endurance Related Components

Aerobic Fitness. Aerobic Fitness can be considered as two subcomponents, aerobic capacity
and aerobic power. Aerobic capacity is the ability to perform large amounts of aerobic work,
while aerobic power is the ability to perform a single extended aerobic effort. Aerobic training
activities involve intensities sufficiently low enough to keep the body in an aerobically fueled
state. Aside from the need to consume oxygen during recovery from work, aerobic fitness is of
minor concern in the sprint/hurdle events.

Anaerobic Glycolytic Fitness. Glycolytic fitness can be considered as two subcomponents,
glycolytic capacity and glycolytic power. Glycolytic capacity is defined as the ability to perform
large amounts of anaerobic work, while glycolytic power is defined as the ability to perform a
single extended anaerobic effort. The ability to perform while experiencing oxygen debt and the
associated acidosis and lactic acid buildup is part of one’s glycolytic power capabilities.
Glycolytic training activities involve intensities sufficiently high enough to force the body into a
glycolytically fueled state. Glycolytic fitness concerns in the sprints and hurdles center around
developing race specific energies, meeting prerequisites for performing certain types of specific
training, and stimulation of the body’s recovery processes.

Endocrine Fitness. Endocrine fitness is a state of the body in which the presence and levels of
certain hormones support improvements in performance and recovery from training.
Developing endocrine fitness involves prescribing training components that stimulate anabolic
hormones and recovery processes.

Work Capacity. Work capacity is the ability to withstand large training loads. While the
aforementioned energy system fitness levels do play a part in determining one’s work capacity,
the levels of various components of coordination and strength play a greater role. A person
who is technically efficient at a task, and whose strength levels enable operation at a lower
percentage of maximal power output, will experience fatigue when performing that task much
later than a person who does not possess these advantages. Achievement of high training
volumes without sacrificing quality of work develops work capacity.
Flexibility Related Components

Active Flexibility. Active Flexibility is the range of motion attainable at a joint without any
outside forces acting upon the joint. Active flexibility training activities require movement into
positions that challenge active flexibility limits.

Passive Flexibility. Passive Flexibility is the range of motion attainable at a joint with assisting
force. Passive flexibility always exceeds active flexibility. The athlete or the environment may
provide the assisting force. Passive flexibility training activities require assisted movement into
positions that challenge passive flexibility limits.

Kinetic Flexibility. Kinetic Flexibility is the range of motion attainable at a joint with the
assistance of momentum. Usually the momentum of a body part supplies an assisting force.
Kinetic flexibility training activities require ballistic movement into positions that challenge
kinetic flexibility limits.
Coordination Related Components

Agility. Agility is the ability to perform acyclic movements quickly and accurately. Quick starting,
stopping, and changes of position and direction are agility demanding tasks. Since speed of
movement is necessary in agility demanding situations, speed qualities are requisite to agility, as
well as coordinative qualities. The body control needs in agility related tasks imply the
importance of good general strength levels, and many general strength deficits masquerade as
agility problems. Agility training activities require these types of movement.

Mobility. Mobility is the ability to move joints through large ranges of motion in accordance
with the demands of some particular motor task. Unlike flexibility related qualities, a task is
denoted and a coordination demand is present. This quality is specific to a task and functional.
Mobility training activities normally assign some technical task that by nature demands great
amplitudes of movement.

Balance. Balance is the ability to maintain stability. Balance is a necessary component of
coordination and all athletic tasks. Balance is trainable but is often neglected, since balance
problems are not readily visible at the high velocities of competitive athletics. Balance training
activities normally require mastering slow movements or stationary positions that create the
opportunity for instability.

Technical Execution. Technical Execution is the ability to perform a motor skill accurately and
repetitively. Technical execution refers to the actual specific skills we find in track and field
events. It is important to note that the development of these skills is largely dependent upon
other coordination capabilities, and improving these is often prerequisite to effective teaching
of the desired skill. Technical execution training features movements that greatly replicate
competition.
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