Identifying an effective technique to improve the sprinting performance of male high school students who have a low sprinting ability

Abstract

A previous study reported that male high school students showed very large differences in their sprinting ability. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify an effective technique to improve the sprinting performance of male high school students who have a low sprinting ability by guiding them in smaller groups outside of normal physical education classes. Participants were divided into two groups and were instructed on each technique. The technique that one group applied to improve was to swing the free leg forward with the flexed knee just after takeoff and pull the thigh of the free leg up high. The technique that the other group intended to improve was to bring the lower leg perpendicular to the ground and contact the ground with the forefoot. The results showed that both groups practiced correctly and achieved significant improvements in their 50-m sprint times as well as sprint motion, suggesting that both techniques were equally effective in improving overall sprinting ability. Additionally, we observed significant increases in leg angular velocity of the support leg at touchdown in both groups; however, there were different trends in the thigh and lower leg angular velocities between the groups. In the former group, increasing the thigh angular velocity of the support leg at touchdown contributed to an increase in leg angular velocity. In the latter group, increasing the lower leg angular velocity of the support leg at touchdown influenced an increase in leg angular velocity. These results highlighted multiple ways to achieve faster leg swing.