Gareth Sandford
@Gareth_Sandford
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🏅 I help coaches maximize elite athletes speed & endurance 🌎 Olympic, Para & Pro sport🚀Accelerate your conditioning growth curve with weekly newsletter⬇️
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Joined December 2012
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Team sports pre-season
How much improvement would you expect from an MAS TT (e.g 1600- 2km) in 60-90 days (squad average)?
<5s
15
5-10s
69
11-20s
72
20+
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1
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Sprinting is like a hammer striking a nail.
Here are 4 characteristics of 10m/s+ sprinting you need to know.
(Each of these could be a current limiting factor to your sprint performance)
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How quickly can we detrain the aerobic system?
Within 12 days of no aerobic stimulus,
You can lose ~18% of key aerobic enzymes.
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English Premier League pre-season lactate testing⚽
@LFC
using 5-6 x 1200m reps at increasing speeds.
This is a must-watch for those curious about pitch "set-up" in time trials.
Plus, it provides a golden opportunity to tailor prescriptions based on individual results.
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Endurance performance focuses on:
• VO2max
• Lactate threshold
• Efficiency/economy
But what else impacts oxygen supply and delivery?
Here are 4 muscle characteristics that may be limiting your endurance performance ⬇️
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According to Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the current Olympic champion in the 1500m,
'Training too hard' is one of biggest mistakes athletes make.
This is just one of several profound training principles he shared in his interview with
@Cathal_Dennehy
Here is a breakdown.
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Aerobic detraining happens quicker than you think.
In just 5-7 days without exposure to critical speed stimuli,
Your body's blood lactate response to a given speed begins to rise.
The result: performing the same level of effort becomes more physiologically demanding.
And has
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Improvement of 800-m Running Performance with Prior High-Intensity Exercise
7 of 11 elite athletes ran faster with a race pace 200m effort in warm-up vs control (just ‘strides’) 20 mins prior
Average 1.2s improvement in 800-m performance
Physiology changes ⬇️
@AndyBeetroot
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What test should you use for aerobic fitness in ⚽pre-season?
A 6 minute time trial.
Because:
• This is roughly how long you can sustain your VO2max, in a one off, all-out effort.
• It's time efficient.
• You can't cheat the test by grinding hard anaerobically.
• It
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What are the time course of VO2max training adaptations?
• Days; blood plasma volume
• Weeks; red blood cell volume, muscle O2 extraction
• Months; hypertrophy of the heart
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Distance coaches looking to lay a robust foundation for Max speed dev/efficiency?
Check out the sequence below developing some key foundational qualities.
Big shout out & thanks to
@ALTIS
for ongoing production of useful videos
@PfaffSC
@StuartMcMillan1
@RickySoos
@jhettler24
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How do you assess strength?
There are 5 qualities you should know.
Here is the latest on how to measure and train them.
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What is an energy system and why does it matter to you?
The body has 3 systems,
That combine to support your speed and endurance performance energy needs, as intensity and duration changes.
Here's a breakdown:
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Do not overlook the importance of strength training in endurance athletes,
Because you may be limiting improvement in critical areas:
• Running economy
• Speed at VO2max
• Muscle power per step
• Anaerobic speed reserve
• Robustness to perform larger training volumes
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How much VO2max work is needed to get a substantial performance improvement?
A good rule of thumb for endurance profiles:
• 4-8 reps of 2-3 minutes
• Twice a week
• For just 4 weeks
Example study below
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🧬Biology of VO2max - understanding determinants (below) & inter-individual variability
Did non-responders simply not respond to
training regimen as the
#intensity
and/or
#volume
was
too little?
With the right
#training
, non-responders do not exist.
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World-class athletes are 0.00006% of the global population, with top 20 world ranking.
Elite athletes are 0.0025% of the global population, with top 21- 300 in the world rankings.
Here's a framework for understanding gaps to the next performance level
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🚨New🚨
Anaerobic speed/power reserve and sport performance
Practical applications across sport include:
• Athlete profiling
• Using this to identify training model
• Individualizing training stimulus
• Prescription of
@hiitscience
• Competing in a sprint finish
Link⬇️
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Athletes,
5 weeks of NO training can cause you to lose ~ 9% of your maximal strength (blue).
But with just ONE maintenance session per week, you can reduce this de-training effect by 57% (red).
Don't let all your hard work go to waste, keep up the maintenance in off-season!
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What workouts are best for VO2max development?
For speed athletes:
• Short intervals that are well tolerated: Work duration ≥ 15s, rest <15s
For endurance profiles:
• Long intervals are better suited: Work duration 2-3 mins, rest <2 min
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Looking to improve your maximal sprinting speed,
And raise the ceiling of your anaerobic speed reserve?
Here are 6-key principles you should know,
From a
@KenClarkSpeed
masterclass 🧵
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Physical preparation coaches, intermittent tests such as:
• The bronco
• 30-15
• Yo-yo test
Do not accurately reflect an individual's aerobic fitness level.
Let me explain why...
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Low hanging opportunity before your next race:
7 of 11 elite middle-distance runners, ran faster with
• A race pace 200m effort in warm-up
• Compared to just 'strides'
Both performed 20 mins prior to race.
Result:
Average 1.2s improvement in 800-m performance.
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New in aerobic conditioning, timely for this phase of the season!
Progressing critical power efforts from 80 to 90% of VO2max,
Leads to greater improvement in VO2max.
But this is a progressive nudge (9 weeks),
Not a quick spike in intensity.
Action: progress the % as the
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The suggestion that interval based sports do not need aerobic fitness is a misunderstanding.
Because after repeated sprint 1, the aerobic system supports increasing amounts of the effort.
If you want capacity to do intensity,
Just ‘speed and anaerobic work’ is not enough.
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3 crucial athlete profiles you need to know
That are quietly changing athlete conditioning in sport
• Speed profiles
• Hybrid profiles
• Endurance profiles
10 minutes of profiling
Will change the way you think about training forever…
🧵
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VO2max training alone is not enough for long-term sustainable aerobic fitness,
If you are an individual or team sport athlete.
And here is why...
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New article reporting Liverpool ⚽ training volumes:
• ~70km/week in pre-season
• 55km/week in season
If that seems crazy to you,
Athletes with the same physiology profiles run 60-150km/week in mid-d running.
The gap:
⚽ conditioning constraints and philosophy
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Is prescribing small volumes of sprinting speed often (4/week),
Better than two larger exposures per week?
New data for team sports, showing a 'bang for buck' training exposure.
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Short term-plyometric training improves running economy in highly trained middle & long distance runners,
4.1% improvement @ 18km/hr, after 9 week intervention
Here is a breakdown of exercise selection & ideas of where to start ⬇️
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VO2max, lactate threshold, and economy are key factors in endurance performance.
But did you know there are other muscle characteristics that can impact your oxygen supply and delivery?
Here are 4 muscle factors that could limiting your full potential:
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What are the time course of VO2max training adaptations?
• Days; blood plasma volume
• Weeks; red blood cell volume, muscle O2 extraction
• Months; hypertrophy of the heart
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285
Want to improve your aerobic conditioning?
Before you get distracted by 7963 training zones,
Focus on one training item.
Your critical speed (fastest pace of stable physiology).
Here is:
• How to find it and
• Why it matters for your training.
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Really pleased to be able to share the next paper from project
#anaerobicspeedreserve
'Maximal Sprint Speed & the Anaerobic Speed Reserve Domain: The Untapped Tools that Differentiate the World’s Best Male 800 m Runners'
#running
#800m
#middledistance
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Long-term aerobic conditioning:
Overvalued, large volume of all-out VO2max intensity (Z3)
Undervalued, large volume of controlled execution at critical speed ‘threshold’ (Z2)
Example: Henrik Ingebrigtsen 🇳🇴
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The Effect of Strength Training on Performance in Endurance Athletes
@KrisBeattie
Improvements in:
- Economy
- Velocity at VO2max
- Muscle Power
- Time trial performances
Concurrent training approach of energetic, mechanical & neuromuscular determinants is optimal
Link ⬇️
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Aerobic adaptation can be trained by 2 levers,
Volume and intensity.
One without the other leaves adaptation on the table.
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Muscle fiber type is associated with overreaching response to overload training
Runners⬆️type-I fibers able to better cope with⬆️training volume & achieve superior performance adaptations
Type ll dominance – higher risk of overreaching/delayed recovery
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Health and Performance training zones.
What a mess.
(but valiant effort from the authors to bring this together)
Most people who need both speed and endurance simply need the following training items.
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Plyometric training performed just once a week for 8 weeks,
Can improve your 5km running performance independent of
Your running training model.
Here is how you can start building a foundation:
The Rudiment Hop Series is one of the most versatile training tools we have in our toolbox. Programming options include:
☑️ warm-ups
☑️ post track session
☑️ post weight room
☑️ return to play
The series serves as a starting point for more complex & intense plyometrics.
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1K
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Individualizing conditioning for team sport?
New approach modelled from different elite⚽
#anaerobicspeedreserve
(ASR) profiles
Different ASR profiles performing the same box-to-box runs present with very large differences in internal responses
Thread & Link ⬇️
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The aerobic system is not a light switch.
It needs consistent stimulus over time
To take advantage of compounding.
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By 2030, ⚽high intensity demands will skyrocket 40%
But how can we best prepare players?
Here are 6 conditioning qualities to target
(For those who want to stay ahead of the competition)
🧵
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How many sprinting exposures >90% maximum velocity is too much for team sports?
More than 6 per week.
Because beyond that number,
Eccentric hamstring force output is decreased, which raises injury risk.
But how should you sequence them?
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What workouts are best for VO2max development
For speed athletes with low aerobic capacity?
Short intervals that are well tolerated:
Work duration ≥ 15s, rest <15s⬇️
Not long intervals.
These are better suited to endurance profiles:
Work duration 2-3 mins, rest <2 min⬇️
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Detraining in an Olympic champion rower.
Complete removal of training for 8 weeks from peak fitness created:
· 8% decline in VO2peak
· 20% power decline at VO2 peak
· 25% power decline at 2 & 4mmol blood lactate
Recapturing these qualities, took 2X the detraining timeline.
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Don't waste time testing anaerobic energy systems in running and team sports.
After 8 years of exploring this area, it's evident these tests don't show what you think they do, and can result in misguided training choices.
But it's not all bad, there's a better alternative.
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Low & moderate intensity training = big gains in capillary density!
More capillaries mean more oxygen to the muscles, for longer periods of high blood flow.
Think about the huge benefits for repeating and recovering from high intensity!
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Maximal sprinting speed is all-out 3-6s efforts,
And 15-45s speed endurance efforts are not maximizing this quality.
Because you have longer to express force, which creates different
•Time under tension
•Co-ordination pattern
•Muscle activation and firing frequency
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Maximal aerobic speed (MAS) is an estimate of the
Minimal speed that achieves maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max).
But why does this matter?
Because MAS pace is important for prescribing training
That targets raising your VO2max, via the adaptations below.
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Aerobic training for speed profiles decoded.
Low intensity (blue) hardly engages fast twitch muscle,
And so low blended with medium intensity (red), is required to achieve some aerobic adaptation in faster fibers.
This is why critical speed is a crucial training stimulus for
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Don't let your fitness improvements slip away!
High intensity training can build adaptations quickly, but they disappear just as fast without maintenance.
Studies show an 18% drop in key mitochondrial markers in just 12 days without regular aerobic stimulus.
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Muscle fiber type & the individual response to training
Acute recovery time following sprint interval training session influenced by individual’s estimated muscle fiber type
Implications for how training sessions are distributed across a weekly program
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For elite 800m runners (1:47-1:44), maximal aerobic speed is not the whole story.
Our work shows, it's maximal sprinting speed that sets apart the fastest performances.
When normalizing aerobic capacity, the fastest times come from having a larger anaerobic speed reserve.
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‘Kylian Mbappe has Olympic sprinting speed’
Is a commentator claim you may hear during this
@FIFAWorldCup
But what is the reality?
It may not be what you expect…
#FIFAWorldCup
⚽
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For aerobic conditioning, most athletes just need to focus on consistency of:
• Critical speed (Z3)
• Easy running (below lactate threshold) (Z1)
With 4-6 week windows pre-comp of MAS (Z5).
You do not have to drown in training zones.
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Sprinting is like a hammer striking a nail.
Fast rotation + stiff collision upon impact.
Here are 4 characteristics contributing to 10+ m/s sprinting speed.
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You need to know determinants of performance for your sport,
Because they drive relative training priorities compared to other elements.
A good overview of 100m to marathon running determinants below
Example: running economy important for the marathon but not 100m.
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Low intensity and moderate intensity (Z1-3 below)
Develop more capillaries and mitochondria efficiency
That increase blood exchange between tissues.
This improves the ability to clear the products of high-intensity training
And repeat and recover performance.
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Low-moderate intensity aerobic work develops adaptations that enable:
• Improved transfer and utilization of oxygen
• Improved ability to repeat and recover from high speed efforts
• Greater volumes of high intensity training
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Large volume of low intensity continuous aerobic work
Flattens speed profiles
Because:
• Fast twitch muscle relies on anaerobic pathways
• It can be biomechanically 'uncomfortable'
• Perceived exertion is high
The result:
Recovery cost is much higher than intended.
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What differentiates 100m sprinters?
• Elite (9.95-10.29s) and
• Sub-elite (10.40 -10.6s)
Direction of force, not total force.
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What improvements do you get from low-moderate vs high intensity training?
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How well do drills in top class footballers replicate the demands of the game across:
• Total distance
• High speed running
• Very high speed running
• Sprinting
• Acceleration & deceleration
A breakdown from 2 seasons of training in 🇮🇹
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For aerobic conditioning, most athletes just need to focus on consistency of:
• Critical speed (Z3)
• Easy running (below lactate threshold) (Z1)
With 4-6 week windows pre-comp of MAS (Z5).
You do not have to drown in training zones.
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Volume is not the priority when prescribing sprinting speed in distance runners.
And here is why…
(this is a common mistake that results in injuries or not improving the quality at all)
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3 Norwegian brothers all European 1500 m champions:
Huge thanks
@FilipInge
@HenrikInge
@JakobIng
@Headof7
for your openness to share training/development
Preparation period in 2018/19 average 140–160 km/wk, w 23–25% at & above anaerobic threshold pace
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‘Sport science runs the risk of being irrelevant to coaches,
If training research continues as it is’
A conclusion from a new international survey of coaches,
Here are the findings
(for those wanting to close the application gap)
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If you're looking to improve your aerobic conditioning,
raising your critical speed is key!
By increasing your critical speed, you'll be able to cover more distance at faster paces without hitting the fatiguing non-steady state physiology.
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Boosting aerobic enzymes = better endurance performance!
Muscles burn more fat (less glycogen/glucose) & produce less lactate during exercise.
Training at low-moderate intensity (left side) is key to unlocking these metabolic benefits.
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Here is how the heart de-trains 4 and 8 weeks after
@bostonmarathon
When you suddenly drop training load from 30, to 5 miles per week.
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A well structured and consistent strength and conditioning programme for runners builds resilience to sustain:
• Larger overall training volumes
• Perform larger volumes of intensity under fatigue
Example framework below from
@rich_blagrove
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The unbalanced scientific narrative around endurance performance has to stop.
It is not simply:
• Lactate threshold
• Running Economy
• VO2max
• Durability
Because having endurance but no speed is not enough to win at the top.
Both speed and endurance are required.
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High speed deceleration ⚽🏉🏈
-⬆️decel capacity of players=⬇️injury risk &⬆️explosive performance
-Eccentric, iso & concentric all important⬆️tissue load tolerance (below)
-⬆️variability in technical skills
Excellent practical delivery Damian!
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Aerobic conditioning for team sport is not simply
Critical speed and maximal aerobic speed
Because intensity alone is not sustainable.
Here’s how to balance intensity and volume
Across different athlete profiles
🧵
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How aerobic training changes the oxygen transport highways (capillaries).
New review explores peripheral performance limitations in untrained and well-trained individuals...
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Sprint training menu parameters for sprinter population.
Key piece is the recovery duration and density:
• At least 2 minutes between max efforts
• 48-72 hours between most stimulus
If you want near maximal intensity, need to let the fast acting energy system recover.
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International 1500m runner 2yr progression 3:38.9 – 3:32.4
Yr1, low intensity training faster than prescribed, adjusted Yr2
5 to 25 mins tempo run performed at excessively high intensity (Δ [blood lactate], yr1 = Δ6.7, yr2 = Δ2.5
Execution matters
Full training/physiology⬇️
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VO2max is the ceiling.
Critical speed is the floor.
Move the floor to the ceiling.
VO2max is a blend of aerobic and anaerobic qualities.
Critical speed is the last intensity where physiology can stabilize, primarily fueled by the aerobic system.
The interrelationship between
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Repeated sprint performance cannot rely
Just on maximal sprinting speed/peak power.
Consistent aerobic conditioning is
Needed to develop fatigue resistance.
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Finding a training disconnect between a lab tested ‘zone 2’ and your training?
This is no surprise.
There is a large individual shift from the speed at 2mmol in an incremental step test (2000m stages)
And continuously running at that pace for 40 minutes.
Relying solely on a
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VO2max (the ceiling) = maximal rate of oxygen that can be utilized at the lung
Critical speed (the floor) = maximal rate of stabilized physiology (heart rate, breathing, lactate, perception)
Training aim: Raise the floor to the ceiling (~95% MAS)
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What is speed endurance?
• 3-4 x all-out 15-45 second efforts
• With 3+ minutes recovery
Targeting:
• High lactates (big range depending on profile)
• Speed type 18mmol/l +, endurance type 10mmol/l+
• Highest rate of anaerobic energy production
How often to prescribe?
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Oxygen cost estimates of aerobic and anaerobic systems to running events from:
• 200m (20s) up to
• 1500m (~4 minutes).
How can you use this information?
As a starting point for training distribution balance between the two systems.
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Biomechanical loading in the triple jump
Ground reaction forces a remarkable 15.2 x body weight in the step phase!
Sprinting ~ 4*body weight
Even greater in deceleration (~6*)
@DHMov
Can anyone raise that ground reaction force demand from any sport?
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How does rest duration impact repeated 4s sprints?
2 min (intermittent) or 30 s rest (repeated)
A reduced total work with 30s rest,
And different adaptation stimulated.
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In high performance:
‘If you are just evidence based, then you are following’
And relying solely on evidence-based research can leave you trailing behind. 🚀💡
While evidence-based findings are valuable, they can act as anchors, holding back innovative ideas. 📚🧩
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What is an energy system and why does it matter to you?
The body has 3 systems,
That combine to support your speed and endurance performance energy needs, as intensity and duration changes.
Here's a breakdown:
3
40
165
Deceleration is an under researched, but key performance determinant in change of direction sports.
Where impact forces are
• 2.9X greater than acceleration
• 1.7X greater than maximal sprinting speed
Check out the latest insights from
@DHMov
below
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In just 6 weeks, you can lower lactate and heart rate for a given running speed.
Now you are fitter to run the same speed for a lower cost.
Training to do this just needs to be there consistently (2+ times a week).
But it does not stop because you improved,
Keep it moving.
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Pro tip for fitness enthusiasts:
Raising your VO2max ceiling can delay its decay with time.
And if you are a speed or endurance profile, keep reading to discover how to target this...
3
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Training density, the often forgotten training variable,
Because of the convenience of the 7-day week.
But daily you ask: 'how much and how often should I give each stimulus?
The importance of density prescription grows, as your performance level climbs.
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Athletes who want to dominate in interval-based sports,
Don't make the mistake of thinking 'speed and anaerobic work' is all you need. (Glycolysis + PCr)
In reality, aerobic fitness (ATP) is key as it supports sustained effort beyond the first sprint.
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Messi's Argentina won World Cup 2022,
But what were the physical demands across the tournament?
New paper reveals insights on:
• Distances covered
• High speed running
• Maximal sprinting speed
Plus a comment on the next frontier with this data.
(For those who want to
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If your sport needs speed and endurance:
Raising your critical speed,
Allows you to cover more distance at faster paces
Before entering non-steady state physiology.
This reduces your fatigue from slower paces,
And improves your ability to recover from surging.
2
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Middle-distance running events should be classified as
800m and 1500m events (~1.5 to 5min duration) ONLY.
Because average 800m and 1500m race pace intensity
Is beyond VO2max.
3000m,5000m have distinctly different event demands
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The 400m vs 800m comparison is like comparing apples and oranges.
Why?
Because the underpinning demands change exponentially on the speed-duration curve from 45-100s.
While <60s is primarily force limited,
100s require attention to mechanics, buffering, and energy systems.
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Short term-plyometric training improves running economy in highly trained middle & long distance runners
4.1% improvement @ 18km/hr, after 9 week intervention
Exercise selection & ideas of where to start ⬇️
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Runners,
There is a time to run wide, and a time to be patient.
Just remember:
Running one lap in lane two, adds an extra 7m.
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Durability in world class endurance sport becomes a differentiator between the podium and the rest.
Here are some 1500m-5km training sessions with examples from senior athletes,
(And what to do if you are not in the world class bracket just yet)
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Critical speed training prescription examples for:
• Middle-distance running by
• Anaerobic speed reserve profile:
(where you can start, and how to progress)
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