Don’t just sprint in a straight line: why curved running is important
A research review from the Performance Digest
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By James de Lacey
27th August 2019 | 3 min read
Contents of Research Review
When training and testing sprint ability, the focus is typically on linear (straight-line) speed. However, due to the open nature of team-sports, sprinting is often completed in a curvilinear (nonstraight line) manner. As such, the aim of this study was to assess the characteristics of sprinting such as sprint angle and evaluate any positional differences in sprint angle and number of sprints in elite youth soccer players.
Data was collected by Catapult GPS of thirteen elite youth male soccer players who compete in the U18 Premier League during six official
matches. Raw data was plotted and given coordinates when running velocity exceeded 24 km/h. This process involved:
A number of key findings were reported within this
study:
Irrespective of the playing position, it appears that the average sprint angle (curve of the sprint from initial trajectory to end point) for soccer players during a match is around 5°. One of the main differences with curvilinear running/sprinting compared to linear sprinting is that the body leans inwards (as opposed to remaining more upright). Thus, players are influenced by centrifugal force and consequently need to produce a mediolateral ground-reaction force in order to counteract the centrifugal force and stay balanced whilst running. As running velocity increases, having the strength and technique to overcome these forces may be an important determinant in
curvilinear sprint performance.
The vast majority of sprint training and testing in soccer is linear, therefore, testing curvilinear sprinting alongside traditional linear sprints may help inform practitioners about players who need to further develop this skill. While the average sprint angle is around 5°, curvilinear sprints may be required to be performed up to a 30° angle. This has important implications for training, rehabilitation, or designing “worst-case scenario” drills. For example, an athlete returning from a hamstring injury may start
to introduce small angle (5-10°) accelerations alongside linear speed progressions. As the athlete progresses to maximal velocity, introducing a “worst-case scenario” sprint may involve a more aggressive 30° curved sprint to prepare them for matchplay.
While linear speed is of upmost importance, not just for performance but also for hamstring health, curvilinear sprinting cannot be
forgotten. Perhaps testing could be performed similar to a “change of direction (COD) deficit” (see Performance Digest Issue #28 for more
on this topic), where time or velocity can be measured for a 20 m linear sprint and 20 m curved sprint during 1-3 different angles. Ranking the athletes based on the deficit between the linear sprint and curved sprints, then splitting them by the median score may help identify which athletes need a greater emphasis on curvilinear sprinting.
Furthermore, the skill of curvilinear running/sprinting should be trained alongside linear sprint or agility training. This may involve curved running around cones, as well as large agility games. These larger spaces may allow for higher speed agility manoeuvres, which is likely to encourage a “swerve” or curved run to evade defenders.
The full study can be read here.
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