Exercise and Sports review states that high-intensity training done in intervals can help to improve skeletal muscle oxidative capacity and help to endure performance. Sprinting exercises benefit the heart the most as the heart functions on 95 % while you sprint.
It also improves blood circulation in the body as your body doubles the intake of oxygen. Sprinting is a great way to burn the excess fat in the body and to stay in shape. Compared to gym workouts, jogging, and running, this offers more benefits in lesser time. Read on to know the benefits of sprinting that have never been discussed.
Interesting Facts About Sprinting
1. Sprinting Vs. Jogging
People often get confused between the two. Sprinting is a physically more demanding form of exercise as compared to jogging. Jogging is a low-intensity exercise that helps to wake up the muscles of the body.
Sprinting works as a cardiovascular exercise and also as an aerobic exercise. Sprinting allows more oxygen to enter the body while feeding the muscles and increasing their endurance power.
2. Sprinting vs. Running
Sprinting and Running are intense and vigorous exercises, but the key difference lies in their speed. While running must be performed for a minimum of 10 minutes, sprinting for 100,200,400 meters barely lasts 10 seconds. Sprinting puts your body in an anaerobic zone that uses glycogen instead of oxygen to use as fuel for muscles.
Health Benefits Sprinting has to Offer
1. Helps burn fat
Aren’t you surprised? Are you? One of the most common benefits of sprinting(1) is it helps to lose weight. Sprinting is a very high-intensity exercise that is easy to adapt and does wonders to your body and waistline if you can implement it the right way into your fat loss regime.
There are calories burned while sprinting as its tough. As you burn calories, you may follow a diet to cause a caloric deficit that makes it even easier to lose weight. If you follow a sprinting workout, it may boost your metabolism for hours.
[ Read: Exercises to Lose Weight ]
2. It is easy to adapt
There are a lot of exercises that have numerous benefits to offer, but the benefit of sprinting is it is effortless to adapt. You can try various things to build your stamina to implement sprints into your fitness regime. The more HIIT you can add to your fitness regime, the more benefits of sprinting is out there for you to enjoy.
3. Boosts strength
Sprints are classified as a type of anaerobic exercise that helps to build muscles and increases the size and strength of them.
In 2012, a study stated that sprinting helps to enhance protein synthesis by 230 percent! Yes, you read that right. If you intake the right nutrition, it will lead to muscle building and allow your body to become leaner and will help you run faster and stronger. The benefits of sprinting will increase the strength of your body and thus will help you to perform better.
4. Expands the endurance level
An efficient way to increase one’s endurance level is to do a sprinting workout. A long-distance sprint helps in increasing your power of endurance. Sprinting at your full speed helps in improving the endurance capacity(2) and multiplies the oxygen intake and delays the time for fatigue to set in.
Sprinting allows the body to burn body fat for fuel and preserves glycogen to extend the working capacity. If you are sprinting for weight loss sprint as fast as you can so that you breathe harder and inhale more oxygen into your body, it helps to detoxify your body as well.
[ Read: Foods to Eat Before Running ]
5. Improves cardiac health
Sprinting helps to improve cardiac health. It helps to control hypertension and keeps the blood pressure in check. The muscles that are twitching with fast running helps to improve the function of the heart. It also improves blood circulation in the body.
6. It makes you mentally strong
One of the benefits of sprinting is it helps you stay determined and improves mental toughness. It might be challenging initially, but it tests your determination to finish. The key to success is not to give in. Trying to push the discomfort away will help to build confidence in emotional and physical abilities.
[ Read: Yoga for Mental Health ]
How to Perform?
- Warm-up by jogging around the track.
- Perform dynamic stretches.
- Figure out the desired sprint time.
- Run the first sprint at an intensity of 70 %, and then gradually increase.
- Pause and rest for 5 minutes and then go again.
- Always keep the first session short.
Hazards of Sprinting
- It can cause fatigue and dizziness.
- It can strain the muscles.
- It might lead to an over functioning of your heart.
Precautions
Now that you are well aware of the benefits of sprinting, here are some precautions to follow-
- Always start sprinting after a warm-up session.
- Do not sprint if you are a cardiac patient.
- Add intensity and volume with time. Begin with a slow pace.
- Always check with your doctor before sprinting.
With this, we shall end the surprising benefits of sprinting. The quick movements offer more benefits and save time and energy compared to jogging for an hour. If you are lacking time and need to work out, sprinting is the best choice you have.
FAQs
1. Does sprinting increase muscle mass?
It defines the muscles, hamstrings and also burns the fat layers that hide under the muscles. Sprint burns down protein as much as 230 percent. With the right nutrition, you can sprint to work on your muscle mass.
2. How many sprints should a beginner make?
You can start by taking five sprints twice a week and go up to 15 sprints three times a week.
