Olympic lifts for Sprinters

Sprint performance outcome is underpinned by both explosive power and strength the two key areas for sprint speed optimisation (Fossmo & van den Tillaar, 2022); Haugen et al., 2019). Adding to this, it’s equally as important to understand the biomechanical factors of sprint performance like; kinematic & kinetic variables, neural factors and muscle structure (Mero et al., 1992). Olympic weightlifting exercises are a great option for athletes looking develop power and strength (Morris et al., 2022). Olympic lift movements like the clean and snatch, are high force and velocity movements that are great for athletic performance (Ayers et al., 2016). The clean and snatch involve coordinated rapid triple extension of the hip, knee and ankle joints similar to the mechanical aspects of sprint training (Suchomel et al., 2015; Wild et al., 2013). This article will identify different aspects of why positive performance outcomes found in studies, related to sprints and other correlated explosive movements (like vertical jump height) are seen when athletes incorporate weightlifting into their training (García-Valverde et al., 2021; Hackett et al., 2015)

Biomechanical Similarities Between Sprinting and Olympic Lifts

Triple extension during both sprinting and Olympic lifts, are the important aspects that maximise force and power (Chang et al., 2015). By training key muscle groups involved in triple extension (E.g. Hamstrings, glutes and calves) can increase an athlete’s explosive capacity, thus developing force output and increase sprint speed (Backes, 2020). In figure 1 it shows the triple extension, during the acceleration phase at the first stance touchdown also highlighted in red dots are the joints that used in the movement. This coordinated movement between the three joints during the acceleration phase, generates the force required to create an explosive start which is key to greater performance outcome.

Figure 1- triple extension during acceleration phase (Bezodis et al., 2019)

Similar to the acceleration phase triple extension during a sprint, Olympic lifts also involve triple extension to increase force. More specifically the pulling phase of the clean exercise as shown in figure 2, during the pulling phase an athlete will extend at the hip, knee and ankle to increase vertical acceleration of a barbell (Ronai & Scibek, 2016; Geisler et al., 2023). Adding to this, during a snatch vertical bar acceleration is at its peak during the second pull same as the clean, this peak acceleration is shown in figure 3.

Figure 2-Triple extension during a clean (goss, 2019)

Figure 3- peak vertical bar velocity during a snatch (Walker, 2023)

The biomechanical aspects of both Olympic lifts and sprints, more specifically through triple extension are similar showing the importance of coordinating joints to generate force.

Neuromuscular and morphological Adaptations

Olympic weightlifting causes both neuromuscular morphological adaptations that directly benefit sprint performance (Hung et al., 2025). Neuromuscular and morphological adaptations like increased muscle CSA (Cross sectional area), recruitment of type 2 muscle Fibers, neuromuscular efficiency and greater rate of force development (RFD) (Taber et al., 2018). Within a sprint, a key performance indicator like V/MmaxA (v= voluntary activation to the maximum, M=muscle response) are common measurements used, for sprinters high V/MmaxA values are shown to predict sprint times showing a direct link between sprint time and neural drive, therefore training directly targeted towards neural function will be beneficial just like Olympic lifts. Type 2 muscle Fibers are correlated to sprint performance (Spyridon Methenitis et al., 2025), therefore incorporating Olympic weightlifting will increase muscle Fiber recruitment and neural adaptations leading to an increase in sprint performance. Larger muscle CSA is correlated to increases in strength and power (Hughes et al., 2018) could be directly due to hyperplasia which positively impacts athletic performance (Hryvniak et al., 2020). Stride length is an area that is affected by the force production capacity of an athlete, as higher force production can allow for bigger strides (Vasudevan & Mateo, 2024), this shows the importance of increasing RFD which allows an athlete to create greater forces in short amounts of time, which is useful for sprints as it requires explosive quick movements (Clubb, 2024).

Practical Applications

Olympic lifts can be used during both pre and during season, with the primary focus on power and strength. Sessions should be done 2-3 days a week, with at least a day’s rest between sessions to recover, during preseason training intensity should be higher in terms of volume and resistance on the lead up to the season focusing on explosive power (3-4 sets and reps of 2-4 at 80-90% of 1RM) with this approach it will maximise the power development and ensure athletes are at their peak performance during the season.

Limitations

Whilst Olympic lifts has its benefits for sprint performance, one of the noticeable issues is that the lifts are technical and require proper instruction to prevent any injuries (Antunes et al., 2022). Athletes that are considering Olympic lifts, should gradually increase the weight used when learning the lifts to better their technique and prevent injury possibility.

Conclusion

To conclude, Olympic lifts utilised in sprint training can increase an athlete’s performance by improving individual power output and strength. The biomechanical similarities between Olympic lifts and sprints, primarily the triple extension show the importance of the coordination of hip, knee and ankle extension to create force. Neuromuscular and morphological adaptations that come from Olympic weightlifting, directly benefit sprint performance. With proper guidance athletes that utilise the lifts in both pre and during season, can increase their performance on the track and overall athletic performance. However, it needs to be noted that, proper technique is required to avoid injury, due to the technicality of the lifts. Therefore, those that perform the lifts correctly, should see an increase in performance.

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