Can Isometrics Improve Sprinting Speed?

In a highly competitive sport like sprinting, you may seek anything that can give you the edge on an opponent. Including an isometric exercise in your pre-sprint warm-up may help improve your performance. However, including isometrics in your regular strength-training routine will not give you the strength boost you need to sprint faster.

Basics

Isometric exercises create resistance for one of your muscles without requiring that you bend your joints. An example of an isometric exercise is pushing on a wall or holding a weight in front of you with your arm extended. Isometrics do not substantially increase your muscle strength in the long term, but they may help you maintain the strength of your muscles. To get the most out of isometrics, you must perform different exercises along the whole range of motion of the body part you exercise. For example, if you do isometric squats, you need to perform many separate exercises with your knees bent and muscles engaged at different angles.

Effects

To excel at sprinting you need to build up muscles in your legs that allow you to make powerful, explosive movements. Explosive movements require a lot of strength, which isometrics do not give you. Rather, Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Edward R. Laskowski notes that isometrics may actually hinder your sprinting, because blood does not effectively circulate through the muscle group you work out with an isometric exercise. This lack of blood flow can actually lower your endurance.

Considerations

While isometrics may not help you strengthen your muscles to improve your sprinting, performing isometrics as part of your warm-up before a sprint may increase your speed. Researchers Joseph M. Berning and colleagues showed that men who added a single isometric squat to their warm-up were able to jump higher afterwards, according to a study published in the September 2010 "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research." Jumping requires the same explosive power you need to sprint quickly, so adding an isometric squat to your pre-sprint warm-up may help you run faster. However, Berning and colleagues noted that the isometric exercised only improved explosive strength if the men also performed regular non-isometric resistance exercises.

Isometric Squats

Try adding isometric squats to your warm-up to improve your sprinting. Stand with your back against the wall. Lower your torso until your thighs sit parallel to the ground. Hold your torso in place while you bring your lower legs forward until your knees bend at 90 degrees. Extend your arms in front of you and hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds. Do this exercise two or three times.

Caution

Do not attempt isometric exercises if you suffer from heart problems or high blood pressure. Isometric exercises increase the tension in your muscles, which in turn can substantially increase your blood pressure. Consult your doctor if you are unsure of whether you are healthy enough to try isometric exercises.