Peter Weyand and Matthew Bundle recently published their research paper entitled “Sprint Exercise Performance: Does Metabolic Power Matter?” which calls into question how we look at sprinting metabolism. Their conclusions immediately make a lot of sprinting books, articles and websites out-of-date.
So what exactly does “Does Metabolic Power Matter?” mean? Well, first it means all those charts and descriptions that describe how your body “fuels” the sprints are wrong. Here’s a few links that need updating:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_systems
http://www.athletesacceleration.com/sprinttrainingenergysystems.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sprint-vs-marathon-energy-demands.htm
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/energy.htm
and the list goes on and on…
All of these articles are based on the old theory that the body’s ability to maintain sprinting velocity is controlled by anaerobic fuel limitations. And that old theory is dead wrong. Continue reading
Sprint 42 