1. One recent study showed that high intensity running increased natural, muscle building testosterone levels up to 76%… while extremely high volume training brought testosterone to “near castrate levels”
2. A Canadian study demonstrated that a group who did high intensity sprints lost 9 times more blubber than a low intensity training group
3. Another study at the National Institutes of Health in the United Kingdom showed a 500% increase in natural growth hormone production from near maximal sprinting
4. A study done by the University of Glamorgan in South Wales found that high intensity training brought the same gains in strength and loss of body fat… but in 1/3 the time of low intensity training
5. Danish scientists at the University of Copenhagen saw runners who performed high intensity sprints increased their V02 max by 7%… even though they ran half the mileage of the control group
6. An Iowa State University study demonstrated that marathoners who ran sprints could run half as much training mileage… with no change to their race performance
7. A study in Japan showed that athletes who did a total of just four minutes of sprints gained both power and aerobic capacity
8. A recent study from the University of Missouri-Columbia shows that high-intensity exercise, like sprinting, is superior in reducing stress and anxiety.
So there you have them – my top 8 reasons to include high intensity sprinting in your workouts. Stay tuned to my daily emails for more and more of the great benefits of running sprints.
Run Fast Not Hard
Coach K
PS Other studies have shown that it’s never too late to start sprinting… high intensity workouts have been shown to help people of all ages – even those with cardiac problems and severe arthritis. Be sure to check with your doctor if you have any doubt about running sprints. You can always start slowly and gradually build your speed and intensity.
Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006