Competing against another athlete side-by-side improves 60 m sprint running performance

Abstract

Purpose: Purpose of this study was to elucidate the differences in sprint performance between two different conditions in the 60 m dash: subjects ran alone (Alone Condition: AC) or two runners competed side-by-side (Competitive Condition: CC). Methods: Subjects were twenty-six male university sprinters. They were asked to perform two 60 m dash, the AC and CC, with maximal effort from crouching start. Running spatiotemporal variables were obtained from video images taken with two digital high-speed cameras. Results: Running speed (AC: 9.34 ± 0.45 mžs-1 vs CC: 9.40 ± 0.43 mžs-1, p = .011) and step length (AC: 2.04 ± 0.12 m vs CC: 2.06 ± 0.10 m, p = .021) in the maximal speed section (30-60m) were significantly increased in the CC. However, there was no significant difference in step frequency (AC: 4.58 ± 0.26 Hz vs CC: 4.57 ± 0.27 Hz, p = .595). There was no significant difference in any variables in the acceleration section (0-30m). Conclusion: These results indicate that running with a competitor improves running speed with increasing step length in the maximal speed section but does not affect performance in the acceleration section. We concluded that competition improves sprint performances in the maximal speed section.