What is Speed Biomechanics

Speed is how you win in sports. Like all other aspects of sports, you need to train your body properly to improve your speed. Training speed is done through speed biomechanics.

Biomechanics is the understanding of human movement and how the force of equipment reacts to that movement. To simplify the concept, speed biomechanic training is when coaches slow down your movements and help improve the mechanics of your body for greater power and performance.

There are two facets of biomechanics — kinetics and kinematics:

• Kinetic — The force on the body
• Kinematics — The movement of the body

Using these two facets of biomechanics training can greatly enhance performance by focusing on muscle movement and power exertion of the body.

A coach will focus on finding your optimal moving patterns to improve your overall technique. They do this by slowing down your movements to understand where the load is held on your body. Then they use strength, power training, and speed training to build on the areas that need more focus.

Training through biomechanics can also greatly decrease the risk of injury. Understanding how your body moves and focusing on moving in correct form will decrease improper movements and increase proper muscle memory.

Speed Is the Result of Muscle Contractions

You probably understand the importance of muscles and power in speed. But did you know that better muscle and power will also help improve your reaction time?

The Two Types of Speed

• Reaction speed — How you react to stimuli (initial burst)
• Realization speed — Full speed potential (optimal speed)

An athlete with good reaction speed will start moving faster and reach optimal speed quicker, with a better ability to react to external stimuli and adjust pace at a faster rate.

You’ll also need to understand and improve your fast-twitch muscle fibers to improve power and quick movements. There are two types of muscle fibers: slow-twitch (which help with endurance and long-distance running) and fast-twitch (which support reaction speed).

The Importance of Strength

You need power to improve your running. Training programs for speed should always include some form of strength training with a focus on functional and compound movements.

Power helps you apply a greater force in a restricted time period (within 0.1 to 0.2 seconds). Without power, you increase the risk of injury due to overload on the joints.

Tips on How to Run Faster

Our coaches made a list of tips to help you improve your overall speed. It’s important to train for speed just like any skill in sports. At Run Speed Performance we focus on speed, agility, strength, and biomechanics — using these four key areas to help improve the form and technique of every athlete. Speed training is not just for runners. All sports benefit from it.

• Practice and play with a proper warm-up and cool-down routine
• Keep your body hydrated
• Focus on strength and power training
• Practice your form and technique
• Practice consistently
• Incorporate speed workouts
• Don’t overwork yourself

Training for speed requires a focus on the efficiency of your body during sprints, agility work, and acceleration. Coaches also focus on the turnover and ground reaction time of an athlete.

Calculate Your Stride Length

There are many ways to calculate how fast you are. Your stride length is a great place to start. To calculate stride length, count how many steps it takes you to run a set distance, then divide by two. Then take that number and divide it by the distance. For example:

Distance in feet ÷ Number of strides = Stride length

If it takes you 22 steps to cover 20 feet, you’d divide 22 by 2 to get 11 total strides, then divide 20 by 11 to get a stride length of about 1.81 feet.

Calculating your stride helps you set a goal or metric to gauge your improvement.

A longer stride length requires less exertion while running and helps you improve your pace while decreasing the energy needed to run.

All speed training requires power and strength training. Without that power base, you’re more likely to get injured and you’ll have less ability to reach optimal speed in a short time.

If you have questions about training, feel free to reach out to one of our coaches.