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The Advantages of Sprinting
While many people believe that the amount of time spent determines the quality of an exercise program, studies have shown that short, fast bursts of running are more effective than hour-long jogs. Sprint training is an excellent way to build muscle, burn fat and calories, and raise your metabolic rate, and it was the favored training method of sports legends such as Jerry Rice and Walter Payton. One of the best things about it is that you can do this training in only a few minutes a day, a couple of times a week, which will save you time over traditional forms of exercise.
Running on a track is the most popular place for sprint training because the distances are demarcated by lines on the ground, making it easy to keep track of exactly how far you’re running. The surface is also good for shock absorption, which is helpful for keeping your joints healthy and free of injury. If you don’t live near a school, gym, or other place with a track, you can still run sprints on any number of flat areas. Consider running on soccer field, football field, or other long stretch of grass or turf that is relatively flat.
Doing a limited number of dynamic stretches before sprinting has been shown to improve sprint times and help the body avoid injury. Dynamic stretches are stretches performed while walking. Too much of this type of intense stretching will cause fatigue and decrease your sprinting performance, so aim to spend about 10 minutes if you’re in average shape, and up to 20 minutes if you’re super fit.
Dynamic stretching requires more effort and is therefore more tiresome than the gentle stretches most people are familiar with.
As you sprint, your heart rate increases to compensate for the increased need for blood flow to your sprinting muscles. Sprinting brings your heart rate to near its maximum speed. Over time, sprint training can increase your maximum heart rate, allowing you to work out more efficiently. Sprinting also increases your cardiovascular fitness, which helps you take in more oxygen while exercising and increasing fitness.
Sprinting burns a great deal of calories in a short time. Professor James Timmons from the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh reports that sprinting “can boost the body’s metabolism sharply, helping to prevent weight gain and diabetes.” Sprinting not only burns calories during its duration, but greatly improves overall metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories even when not sprinting.
Because sprinting is an anaerobic exercise, it works to build muscle in the same way that weight training does. When weight training, your body is required to produce short bursts of energy that increase muscle strength. Sprinting works in the same way. However, unlike most weightlifting exercises, sprinting uses dozens of muscles at the same time, making it one of the most complete muscle training exercises available.
With the added benefit of building muscle along with speed, sprinting helps you build and define the glutes, hamstrings, and quads, while at the same time burning off the fat layers that hide the muscles underneath.
Health experts are beginning to explore the idea that people who eat all they want and don’t gain weight are actually more active than the rest of the population, and therefore burn more calories. However, these folks don’t necessarily spend more time at the gym. They probably engage in a practice known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). When you stand up and pace while talking on the phone, chop cabbage for dinner or even twiddle your thumbs sitting at your desk, you are engaging in NEAT. So that friend who can pig out without consequence probably fidgets more than you do and stands on her feet while you’re sitting down. Engaging in NEAT throughout the day can increase your metabolism by up to 50 percent–so if you normally burn 2,000 calories per day while sedentary, NEAT can help you burn up to 3,000 calories per day.
CLA has been quickly growing in popularity in the fitness world. Since its popularity is still relatively new, many people still have never heard of CLA. It is sold at almost all nutrition stores, and it is highly advertised on the Internet. Many competitive weightlifters and fitness performers have started taking this product and speak positively of its effects. CLA usually comes in 1000 milligram softgels, and is supposed to be taken with meals three to five times daily. I have taken CLA many times before, and currently, in preparation for bodybuilding. The effects were definitely felt even though I had to take it for about thirty to forty-five days until I actually started seeing a change.
In the last decade, many studies have looked at the role CLA may play in aiding weight loss. So far, studies on animals have revealed that CLA does reduce body fat. But to date, studies on humans have been inconsistent. Nevertheless, CLA is available in supplement form and is often an ingredient in over-the-counter slimming pills. It’s particularly interesting that this study looked at weight gain during holiday periods. Research shows that small amounts of weight gained on holiday often stay with us and are never lost. Over time, these extra few pounds gained every holiday add up to a considerable amount of excess weight. Furthermore, overweight and obese adults seem to be particularly susceptible to gaining weight during holidays. One should keep in mind that before taking any supplements it is advisable to consult a doctor.
Most of the studies conclude that a person needs to take 3.4 grams of CLA (3,400 mg) daily to receive its benefits. (The amounts used in many of the studies were two to three times higher, but the treatment period was only 12 weeks.) In order for your body to get maximum use from its properties, it is ideal to take CLA before or during your meals.