Gain Muscle With Sprints
Sprints have been used to improve athletic performance for decades, but studies show they can also improve body composition and increase muscle mass, especially in women.
While the local gym bro may try to convince you that any cardio will kill your gains, regularly performing sprints 1-3 times per week is anabolic. A study conducted in 2011 had test subjects experience an increase in growth hormone, insulin growth-factors, protein binding factors, and testosterone (Meckel, et al. 2011); all of which are necessary for building muscle. According to a study done by Esbjörnsson, et al. in 2012, women experience these effects as well, along with a significantly greater increase in insulin and mTOR phosphorylation (the metabolic pathway that translates protein in skeletal muscle).
This is great news. Women do not build muscle as quickly as men due to differences in testosterone, but with sprinting, muscle building efficiency can be greatly improved. The studies also showed that shorter distances proved to be more effective in creating an anabolic response, while also reducing the rate of perceived exertion (Meckel, et al. 2011), which is also great news for those of us that don’t enjoy running far.
To apply this to your own training, start by adding sprints in one day a week. These can be done in many forms, the most popular being running, and can be a short dash. Be sure to add plenty of rest between sets and progressively add more sets weekly.
Meckel, Yoav1; Nemet, Dan2,3; Bar-Sela, Sheli1; Radom-Aizik, Shlomit3; Cooper, Dan M3; Sagiv, Moran1; Eliakim, Alon1,2,3. Hormonal and Inflammatory Responses to Different Types of Sprint Interval Training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 25(8):p 2161-2169, August 2011. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181dc4571
Esbjörnsson M, Rundqvist HC, Mascher H, Österlund T, Rooyackers O, Blomstrand E, Jansson E. Sprint exercise enhances skeletal muscle p70S6k phosphorylation and more so in women than in men. Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2012 Jul;205(3):411-22. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2012.02404.x. Epub 2012 Jan 23. PMID: 22268492.
