Jogging vs sprinting

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  • JDellena
    JDellena Posts: 1
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    There is research suggesting that interval training offers a lot of benefits to your physique by changing the metabolism. Also, small daily durations of exercise are all that one really needs. So rather than running for a long time, a briefer session of sprinting may be more time-efficient. On top of that, sprinting (on the toes) uses a different technique than long-distance running and thus is potentially less jarring to one's joints. (My response is not very technical and I offer no supporting research, but I offer these ideas as things to investigate for your own research.)
    I too have heard it said that sprinters have better tone than long-distance runners. It may be only a urban legend, but it makes sense to me because in long-distance running, one doesn't exert as much muscular force, but does more reps. Sprinting on the other hand requires a lot of muscular force, so in a sense, one is getting more of a resistance training effect.
  • RunsOnEspresso
    RunsOnEspresso Posts: 3,218 Member
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    I am looking to introduce speed work into my running to help in crease my pace. From what I have read, the muscles used to sprint are different from those for long distance. But as others have said, sprinting is not something you should just start off doing. The articles I was reading say to run 3-4 months before introducing speed work/sprints and to incorporate them once a week. And to do so slowly (ie start with strides then add fartlek and then track). This came from sites such as runners world and womens running etc.

    I think it depends on what your goals are. Do you want to do 5ks, marathons etc? Then you probably want to do both eventually. I want to eventually do a half marathon and increase my pace so I am going to do both.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    First of all...You don't need to attack me just to disprove me. I was simply inquiring what others knew of it, so I could include the one with the best benefits into my day. I looked at several sites not just Beast Fitness. But thank you for all your knowledge.

    I don't think advice to consider your source actually constitutes a personal attack.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    Jogging or distance running for 40-60 miles a week does in fact cause the fast twitch muscle fibers in your body to decrease in size (and possibly even disappear from what I understand). That being said, that is a LOT of running to do. It depends on what you want to do with your body, if you want to develop explosiveness vs endurance, then sprints are the way to go (but only for about 20-30 minutes on workout days).

    Show me where this research is. My average mileage is within that range and my fast twitch fibers are still there, still defined and still doing their job. As a matter of fact, part of distance running is a weekly long run. One of the primary purposes of this long run is to recruit fast twitch fibers to do the job of the slow twitch fibers when they become fatigued. If you want more information, read Daniels Running Formula by Jack Daniels or look it up in Tim Noakes' The Lore of Running.

    You know it's only a matter of time before the wastage kicks in though. Running EATS muscles. Tis common interweb knowledge.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Jogging or distance running for 40-60 miles a week does in fact cause the fast twitch muscle fibers in your body to decrease in size (and possibly even disappear from what I understand). That being said, that is a LOT of running to do. It depends on what you want to do with your body, if you want to develop explosiveness vs endurance, then sprints are the way to go (but only for about 20-30 minutes on workout days).

    Show me where this research is. My average mileage is within that range and my fast twitch fibers are still there, still defined and still doing their job. As a matter of fact, part of distance running is a weekly long run. One of the primary purposes of this long run is to recruit fast twitch fibers to do the job of the slow twitch fibers when they become fatigued. If you want more information, read Daniels Running Formula by Jack Daniels or look it up in Tim Noakes' The Lore of Running.

    You know it's only a matter of time before the wastage kicks in though. Running EATS muscles. Tis common interweb knowledge.

    I know, right? I'm surprised that, after topping out at 80 miles per week in this last marathon cycle, that I'm even able to support my own skeleton!
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
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    I am looking to introduce speed work into my running to help in crease my pace.

    Speed work won't hurt, but the best way to increase your pace is to increase your volume.
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
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    Speed work won't hurt, but the best way to increase your pace is to increase your volume.

    Not according to Runners' World Run Less, Run Faster.
  • pyrowill
    pyrowill Posts: 1,163 Member
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    Speed wrk will increase your speed, distance work will increase your distance. My advice would be unless you are thinking about getting into very long distance running, don't worry about it, just put the trainers on and run. Don't think about what will be better or worse for muscle growth. Just do it. Then when you are better start to look into streamlining your training into specific areas to meet your goals.
  • sullrico18
    sullrico18 Posts: 261 Member
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    I jog daily, and my leg muscles are awesome. I wouldn't believe that website, you know whats even better than sprinting or jogging? a combination of them both, in intervals = amazing workout


    Yep! Well said! :-)
  • tracybosch
    tracybosch Posts: 6
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    I started running 5 years ago. A friend had talked a group of us into training for a sprint triathlon. I could not go very far or very fast. 5k seemed like SOOO far and it took serious endurance training on my part to be able to run the whole thing (without walking).
    Fast forward 5 years. I have now completed 2 century bike rides, 2 marathons and 2 Half Ironman triathlons. And endurance event to me now is 5 to 6 hours long. A 5k is a sprint.
    I have learned through all of this that "endurance" training is important and "speed" training is important. I could not work on the speed training at first because I had no endurance. Now I work on speed:endurance at about 2:1. And I am still seeing results.
    I also think that each person is different. You can try something and see how it feels and if you are getting results and go from there.
  • jhc7324
    jhc7324 Posts: 200 Member
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    Speed wrk will increase your speed, distance work will increase your distance. My advice would be unless you are thinking about getting into very long distance running, don't worry about it, just put the trainers on and run. Don't think about what will be better or worse for muscle growth. Just do it. Then when you are better start to look into streamlining your training into specific areas to meet your goals.

    This.

    What level are you at right now? A lot of these specific training questions are going to be more or less irrelevant for people just starting out running. If you're not a runner at all, and have trouble jogging for 30 minutes without taking walk breaks in between, I'd probably start on building that up first. Having a base of endurance is something you'll need regardless of what type of training you decide on later. Whether you focus on sprint work or distance, if you're not conditioned enough to last at least that long without burning out it won't matter too much which you choose.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Unless you're regularly running marathons it shouldn't be an issue. Still, weight training couldn't hurt.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Speed work won't hurt, but the best way to increase your pace is to increase your volume.

    Not according to Runners' World Run Less, Run Faster.

    Run Less, Run Faster is a short term method to get some increase in speed. It is not long term. It's not sustainable. In order to continue to gain speed improvements, you have to have the aerobic base to support it. You get this my running lots of miles over time. Run Less, Run Faster works well for older runners that already have a base. If Run Less, Run Faster was the best way to develop speed, then elite runners would do it. They don't. They run lots of miles.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Speed wrk will increase your speed, distance work will increase your distance.

    Increasing distance, and thereby building aerobic base, increases your speed as well. It does a better job of it long term too.
  • wolfgate
    wolfgate Posts: 321 Member
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    Speed wrk will increase your speed, distance work will increase your distance.

    Increasing distance, and thereby building aerobic base, increases your speed as well. It does a better job of it long term too.

    Yep. i've set a couple of 5k PRs a month or so after a marathon cycle where I pushed my mileage up to a new level. Did that without a 5k training cycle. A good 5k cycle building on that base can lower the PR, of course. But that doesn't change the reality that increasing distance does increase speed.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Increasing distance, and thereby building aerobic base, increases your speed as well. It does a better job of it long term too.

    This

    The fast runners are the ones who run frequently and put on a lot of miles.
  • BarbellBlondieRuns
    BarbellBlondieRuns Posts: 511 Member
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    "Running EATS muscle" may be the dumbest thing I've ever read.
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
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    Run Less, Run Faster is a short term method to get some increase in speed. It is not long term. It's not sustainable. In order to continue to gain speed improvements, you have to have the aerobic base to support it. You get this my running lots of miles over time. Run Less, Run Faster works well for older runners that already have a base. If Run Less, Run Faster was the best way to develop speed, then elite runners would do it. They don't. They run lots of miles.

    Have you read the program? Why would you think it is not sustainable?

    And the reality is, elite runners have time to devote, many regular runners simply can't do upwards of 20 miles per week, not because their bodies can't handle it, but time constraints can't.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Maybe it's not worth saying, but the OP is not an elite runner, she's someone who is thinking of getting into jogging
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Run Less, Run Faster is a short term method to get some increase in speed. It is not long term. It's not sustainable. In order to continue to gain speed improvements, you have to have the aerobic base to support it. You get this my running lots of miles over time. Run Less, Run Faster works well for older runners that already have a base. If Run Less, Run Faster was the best way to develop speed, then elite runners would do it. They don't. They run lots of miles.

    Have you read the program? Why would you think it is not sustainable?

    And the reality is, elite runners have time to devote, many regular runners simply can't do upwards of 20 miles per week, not because their bodies can't handle it, but time constraints can't.

    I have not read the program, but I am very familiar with the concepts contained within.

    It's not sustainable because research shows that an aerobic base is required to continually gain speed improvements. Anecdotal evidence supports this. Without the base, you will reach a ceiling in your speed and you won't be able to break through without doing easy running over time to increase your base.

    As for not having the time to devote to it, it just depends on how important it is. If you want it, you make time for it. I have a full time job, two active kids and weeknight obligations about 4 nights a week. I found the time to run 80 mile weeks to prepare for my marathon.

    I'm not saying Run Less, Run Faster is a bad program, just that it's not the best way to set yourself up for continual improvements over you running lifetime.

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