- According to new research Jonathan Folland, Ph.D Side Effects of Text Neck for Runners, DAA Industry Opt Out.
- Regularly doing exercises Focus on building the muscle group for a speedier kick and more power on the track deadlifts, single-leg glute bridges, and power skips can help strengthen your glutes Races - Places.
We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back sprinting, they’re not the biggest driver for launching off the blocks faster or having a speedier end-of-race kick, a recent study How Run/Walk Intervals Can Improve Back Pain Side Effects of Text Neck for Runners suggests. Instead, it’s all about the glutes.
Your glutes are comprised of three major muscles: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. Also in the mix are smaller muscles like the iliopsoas, tensor facsiae latae, sartorius, and rectus femoris.
Researchers used MRI scanning to examine all of these muscles in elite sprinters, sub-elite sprinters, and a non-sprinter control group. They found that the elite group had significantly larger gluteus maximus muscles than the other two by about 45 percent.
When looking at other leg muscles like the calves, they found no differences, leading them to conclude it is the largest glute muscle that’s key for achieving faster speeds and better performance. Researchers suggested 44 percent of the variability in performance was explained by the size of the gluteus maximus.
Study coauthor Jonathan Folland, Ph.D., Emily Infelds Core and Lower Body Workout., We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back that the results were surprising, because sprinting is thought to be influenced by many factors, including technique, psychology, and nutrition.
“To find a single muscle that alone seems so important, explaining nearly half the variability, is remarkable,” he stated.
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In addition to being a powerhouse for sprinting, developed glutes can be key for much more throughout your body, according to trainer Holly Perkins, C.S.C.S., The Glutes Project How Mindfulness Boosts Workout Motivation.
“Strong, powerful glutes create the anchor for your entire pelvis, and that has profound implications in terms of your alignment and how you move,” she told Runner’s World. “Think of it as your base for body mechanics. If it’s out of alignment, your movement will be, too.”
For example, with weak glutes, you’ll often see an excessively forward-rotated pelvis, she said. That can result in spinal misalignment, back pain, and tight neck muscles. You’ll also tend to be more Health in the News, since those large leg muscles will be doing much more work than posterior muscles like hamstrings and calves.
“Quad dominance can cause hip, knee, and foot issues,” Perkins said. “You can see how weak glutes affect the entire body, from your feet to your head. Now, imagine all that in motion as you’re running. In many cases, your knee and hip pain is not about your knee or hip at all. It’s your glutes.”
Fortunately, she added, it’s fixable. Adding glutes-specific training—Focus on building the muscle group for a speedier kick and more power on the track deadlifts, single-leg glute bridges, and power skips—into your weekly routine can go a long way toward reversing that pelvic tilt. As you do, it’s likely you’ll see benefits like more power, better endurance, and improved injury prevention.
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