UNLEASH YOUR INNER SPRINTER

To build on the success of CW’s Max Watts Challenge, Josh Owen Morris makes the case for sprinting as a time-efficient form of training with universal benefits

- Josh Owen Morris

Even if you’re not usually one for pinning on a number and chasing a bunch of other cyclists round a circuit before lunging for the line, you’re probably at least curious about your sprinting ability. The chances are, the first time you rode with power, there was a little voice in the back of your head egging you on to see just how high you could make the numbers go. It’s that very instinct that Cycling Weekly’s recent Max Watts Challenge competition keyed into and gave you the chance to indulge. Here, I want to investigate why sprinting matters to all cyclists, not just those who consider themselves max-watts specialists.

Sprinting may well be a sport within a sport, at the extreme end, but the average rider may well be doing more of it than they’re aware. Every time you pull away from the lights in a hurry, find yourself having to catch on at the back of the pace line, or – more seriously – want to beat your mate in the sprint to the cafe, you call on this ability. It’s not all about surging to cross the line first; there are gains in both performance and general health to be had from regularly doing sprints – and it doesn’t mean you have to start chasing the powerlifter-like physique of an Olympic track sprinter.

Regular sprinting could increase testosterone levels for some older men, and doing as few as four 30-second sprints in a week has been shown to help increase insulin sensitivity. Many riders also tout the mood-boosting effects of being able to put everything they have into a sprint, and improvements are usually measurable within a few weeks. What’s not to like?

Kevin Stewart is podium sprint coach for British Cycling, looking after the elite side of things, but has coached at every level of the development programme.