Should Sprinters Run Long Distance?

One camp says sprinter should NOT do long runs as it would develop the slow twitch fibers and make you slower. There is no direct transfer of training. If you want to run fast, you have to train fast. Running at 8 or 9 m/s does not help if you want to run 12 m/s.

Does running long distance make you a slower sprinter?

Running long distance will make you slower at sprinting but faster at long distance. It will develop more slow twitch muscle fibers which are better at long distance. Research has been done on this. You want fast twitch muscle fibers primarily for sprinting.

Can sprinters be good distance runners?

In general, sprinters are genetically gifted with a larger number of fast-twitch muscle fibers compared with long-distance runners. ... Compared with slow-twitch fibers, fast-twitch muscle fibers fatigue more quickly and hence are more suited for short-duration anaerobic activities like sprinting and weight lifting.