Runners usually talk about muscles in terms of quads, glutes and hamstrings. Exercise physiologists, on the other hand, talk about muscles in terms of fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibres - which is one of the reasons why physiologists aren't invited
is hardly ever mentioned. – nrg-bDon't focus on natural limits – train and you'll get fasterAs far I'm aware no-one has ever produced a definitive answer to this question. There's no clear way to measure what makes someone 'naturally fast', because fast-twitch
an adrenaline burst that will push you on. Second, when you run for a long distance at the same pace, you tax your slow-twitch muscle fibres over and over again, while your fast-twitch fibres go passively along for the ride. If you shift to a higher gear, you
on the fringe of the national team until, by training 30 miles a day, he became European champion at 5000m and 10,000m.The natural-born sprinter has a high proportion of fast-twitch fibres and middle-distance runners probably have about equal amounts of fast-twitch
This much is true: your genetic make up puts a ceiling on your speed. How many "slow" and "fast" twitch fibres you're born with determines whether you will be a Linford Christie clone or a counterfeit Steve Cram, but that doesn’t mean you’re a
Sunday. Do what feels right.Saturday: 30-minute run followed by 4 x 100m strides After running easy for 30 minutes, do four 100m strides at your projected 5K race pace to simulate a strong finishing kick. The speed will wake up your fast-twitch muscle
will be replenished. Then hone that work by reducing total volume to boost muscle glycogen levels and immune function. But keep the intensity high in a few key sessions to recruit fast-twitch muscle fibres and to stay sharp physically and mentally. With this mix, you
in Indiana, USA, reveals that during a three-week taper, the benefits of rest are felt more in the fast-twitch muscles required for shorter events like the 5K than the slow-twitch muscles paramount in a marathon. Their results also contradict the received
weeks before a key event and should be shorter than your target race, but run at full effort. This ensures that your fast-twitch muscle fibres and neuromuscular coordination are high; the shorter distance ensures you won't need a long recovery. Run a
their cycling cadence by 20 per cent.Embrace variety"To increase cadence, you need to activate fast twitch muscle fibres," says Anderson. This means more speedwork and fewer junk miles. Incorporate tempo runs, intervals and other sessions designed to take you
